


Video: Love at War

by 123leyang321



Series: My Storm Hawks AMVs [3]
Category: Storm Hawks
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Awesome, Battle, Cool, Cute, F/M, Falling In Love, Family, Fanvids, Friendship, Fun, Funny, Heartwarming, Humor, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Love, Love Confessions, Rescue, Revenge, Romance, Ship Tease, Shipping, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-09
Updated: 2015-04-05
Packaged: 2019-03-17 23:10:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 27,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13669245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/123leyang321/pseuds/123leyang321
Summary: This is basically an alternative take on the battle to end all battles. Starring Piper, a runaway, and Aerrow, the son of the greatest Sky Knight in the Atmos, in their journey to end the century old war against Cyclonia.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This video was requested by CarlottaStudios from DeviantART.
> 
> Quick notes:
> 
> The story happens during the first "battle to end all battles" that occurred 10 years prior to the cartoon's present events (basically, that very battle in which the Dark Ace betrays the original Storm Hawks and kills Lightning Strike, the one that always appears in the opening and was shown in more detail in the episode 46, "Origins").
> 
> Aerrow and Piper are not part of the "new Storm Hawks" like they are in the cartoon, and they're 16, instead of 14.
> 
> Dark Ace will be an adult and not a teenager.
> 
> Aerrow will be Lightning's son, I might adjust Lightning's age so it'll be more acceptable that he'd have a son at the age of 16... Maybe if he were 36, that'd mean he had his son when he was 20. Pretty plausible age, I guess.
> 
> Well, I guess that covers everything... If any more notes are needed, I'll provide them.

* * *

**Prologue**

_Atmos, a world of a thousand mountaintop kingdoms, the Terras, created after the Great Storms that ripped through the land until only a few chunks of habitable places were left. With scarce areas to live on, conflicts were bound to happen._

_The Cyclonian Empire, an ancient kingdom had begun trying to conquer every single Terra under its flag. To protect the Terras from being obliged to unite under the leadership of one single dictator, the Sky Knights were created. Each defending their own Terras and cultures, but they'd also team up with other Sky Knight squadrons since they all had the same goal: to keep their freedom._

_The war had been lasting for centuries, countless generations went through it, and so far, with some battles being won and others being lost, the results were draws. The rulers of Cyclonia kept trying to come up with several methods of conquering the world, and up until then, they have failed._

_They have decided to find allies, so the Raptors joined them. They also attempted to get aid from the Wallops, a race who values strength as the most important thing, by showing how powerful they were, after bigs battles in which they've won and managed to capture several Terras. And apparently, they'd been trying to make an alliance with a dark faction that so far seemed to be neutral, the Night Crawlers._

_The war began going on Cyclonia's favor for once. And because of that, a brand new idea came to light, a special Sky Knight squadron would roam around the Atmos to protect everyone in need: the Storm Hawks. The Storm Hawks, led by the greatest Sky Knight of all, Lightning Strike, managed to save several Terras from the Cyclonian clutches, but that wasn't enough, the Empire was forming a huge army and planning a much bigger invasion._

_A battle in world scale was imminent. Lightning Strike managed to convince all the Sky Knights that they'd only stand a chance if they all united into one single army to bring the fight to Cyclonia: that'd be the Battle to End All Battles._

_While the main battle itself was an important event that scarred the world, it didn't end the war by itself. The war would have gone on for much longer if it weren't for certain people. Not that many know about this since this side of Atmos' history has been kept in the shadow of the bigger battle's spotlight. A boy and a girl that met each other by pure chance. Two teenagers who happen to be very extraordinary individuals that changed the world's fate by themselves._

_And this is their story…_


	2. The Invasion

* * *

**Chapter I**

**The Invasion**

It was a calm morning in a tranquil Terra where serene people lived their lives peacefully. The weather was warm, the birds sang, the sun shined brightly, just a perfect day as always. From one of the houses in a small village came outside a girl.

She had dark skin, midnight blue hair, orange eyes, a slender body filling her blue, yellow and brown shirt and light blue pants, she wore brown boots, blue and brown gloves, a metallic armband on her left wrist, an orange hair band keeping her hair upwards, and a blue crystal necklace.

She held an empty basket in her hands, for she was about to go to the market to buy some groceries and vegetables. Before she barely took a step forward, another girl approached her.

She was Caucasian, with light brown hair and blue eyes. She wore an olive green and brown shirt, dark blue pants and brown boots.

"Morning, Piper!" - the girl greeted with a broad smile.

"Good morning, Dove." - Piper replied.

"So, are you going to the market?" - Dove asked while nodding at the basket in the blue-haired girl's hands.

"Yeah. Gotta buy some groceries, I'm almost out of a few spices."

"Oh my! Then we ought to go there right away, your sand cakes are never too spicy." - the blue-eyed girl said as she dragged Piper by the wrist.

The dark skinned girl giggled knowingly.

"You're right, though I'm sure this enthusiasm of yours isn't really about some spices, is it?" - she asked.

"Yeah, well… Alright. It's just that I'm so eager! Our Sky Knight has finally returned from his mission!" - Dove clasped her hands as she jumped up a little.

"Oh, right, your big crush since we were 13." - Piper teased - "You can't miss him!"

"Shh!" - the Caucasian girl shushed her - "Don't say that out loud!"

The two of them laughed a little as they walked. They headed towards the crowd that waited for the squadron to land, and on the way, Piper took the chance to buy all she needed. Her basket was full when she and her friend arrived at the landing strip.

"I'm so excited!" - Dove said and it was easy to tell her soul was screaming inside with joy.

"You really like that guy, huh?" - the orange-eyed girl commented.

"Of course! You should find someone for you as well, Piper." - the brown haired girl nudged her - "Look! There are quite a few really cute boys around here you can choose from." - she discreetly gestured towards a bunch of guys around their age that stood not too far from them.

"Ah… No, thanks. I have other ways of choosing someone to have a crush on." - Piper was a little disturbed by that but shrugged it off smoothly.

"Okay… But don't be too picky, or you'll scare all the boys away!" - she placed her hands on her hips - "You can't just stand there waiting for a prince charming, you know."

"Of course not! I'm not a naïve little girl. And I'm more down to earth than you, Dove." - she smirked.

"Hey!" - the girl shouted, pretending to be displeased.

The two laughed it off again when an old man in front of them pointed at the sky.

"They've arrived!" - he shouted.

Everyone followed his finger, then cheered as the squadron came closer. Their Sky Knight was back! People jumped and threw confetti in the air, some even prepared a few fireworks.

But suddenly, all the happiness and joy turned into fear: from the clouds behind the squadron, came a menacingly huge fleet of Cyclonians.

* * *

 

Everybody gasped. The Sky Knights stared behind them surprised, they were caught off guard. The people watched in horror as their squadron was mercilessly taken down from the skies since they were seriously outnumbered and outgunned by the Cyclonian army.

Dove had her hands glued to her mouth, her eyes tearing up as she stood frozen staring up at the sky. Piper looked around frantically, having gotten out of the state of shock. They had to protect themselves! She rushed to her friend and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Dove, snap out of it!" - she shouted as she shook her briefly, staring intensely into her eyes - "I need you to take everyone to the underground shelter and prepare the evacuation ship!"

The girl nodded silently, not recovered from the trauma. When she was about to turn around, she noticed Piper didn't move.

"W-what about you?" - she asked still shaken.

"I'll stall them and buy you guys some extra time." - the girl said determined - "You get everyone out of here safely, regardless if I come back in time or not."

"But…" - she tried to convince her not to do something so reckless.

"No buts! I've made my choice. Now go! And don't wait for me!" - the blue haired teenager said as she ran off.

Dove blinked sadly but did as she was told. She sprinted after a group of people who stood there shocked, then managed to snap them out of their stasis and make them follow her.

Everyone soon moved their focus to their own survival, they could save the mourning for later. The girl rounded up all of the villagers, and they ran towards a secret passage behind a big tree nearby.

Some troops landed on the Terra and proceeded to raid the village. Piper pulled out some rainbow smokers from her pockets and held them firmly as she ran after them to draw their attention.

"Hey, over here!" - she shouted, making them turn at her.

Then she tossed the crystal at them, which caused a big explosion. The talons coughed a lot from the huge amount of smoke and moved their arms around frantically, blowing the smoke away before it'd intoxicate them.

"Capture that insolent brat!" - one of the talons yelled.

They angrily accelerated their rides and drove off quickly after the girl.

Piper ran by the market, grabbing any crystals she could find and throwing them at more talons. She managed to get the attention of a few more groups and was going for another one when one of the talons landed on her way and drove towards her really fast. She halted her steps cautiously, then decided to retaliate.

She jumped in the air, then spun around to gain momentum and kicked the Cyclonian off the heliblade, assuming his place as the new rider. She smirked as she looked at the dizzy talon sitting up with a hand on his head to ease the pain.

She used her new speed as an advantage now, to cause as much trouble for the fleet as possible. She drove all over the Terra, tossing some crystals at the troops, disabling their skyrides in the process and creating quite the havoc for them.

Thanks to that, they all completely forgot about the occupation of the Terra and the capture of the villagers just to go after her. She did become a very big issue they had to deal with first.

Well… She had managed to get their attention, now there was only one tiny problem: how would she lose them?! Once the whole fleet focused on her, she had to take off because the Terra was too small and allowed little to no space for her evasion maneuvers.

She flew around her Terra a few times, but she couldn't keep doing that for too long, or they'd soon end up capturing her. There was way too much fire at her, so she had no other choice: she glanced sadly at her home Terra, then shot out in the sky, dragging the fleet away from it with her. And to think she had once thought of leaving the Terra so she could pursue her dream of becoming a crystal mage… She just never guessed she'd be saying goodbye like that…

She looked behind her and saw the evac ship leaving the Terra and diving into the clouds for cover. As she flew away, her heart ached, but at least she knew the villagers had managed to escape safely, so that was enough to keep her going. She had to think positively, maybe she could somehow outfly the fleet chasing her and go back to the others. Who knows? She had to at least try.

She flew towards the horizon as fast as she could. Soon she and the whole fleet were mere dots in the distance. The villagers observed her through the windows of the evac ship as it sank into the clouds, using them as cover. They were sad for her sacrifice and proud of her bravery, if in the end, they'd never see her again, they would surely never forget her and what she did for them.


	3. A Friend to the Rescue

* * *

**Chapter II**

**A Friend to the Rescue**

Flying at the best of her skills, Piper tried to dodge every single shot aimed at her. She couldn't believe how persistent those Cyclonians were. She flew farther and farther away, her home Terra was no longer in sight. In fact, she could even see another Terra! Did they really decide to ignore her Terra just to go after her? If the Terra wasn't that important, why did they even invade it in the first place?! Guess it was Cyclonian logic…

"These guys won't give up!" - she shouted to herself as she looked behind her.

In the new Terra, more specifically, inside a cave, was a boy. He and his animal companion stared at the sky, having spotted the girl flying for her life on a Cyclonian vehicle.

"They're attacking one of their own? What's going on up there?" - the boy wondered as he and his companion ran outside to take a better look - "Wait... She's not a Cyclonian… She's running away from them!"

As Piper flew in zigzags, she ended up getting herself cornered by another group of talons that decided to flank her.

"Oh, no!" - she said as she blinked in fright.

Now she definitely put herself in trouble. Yanking to her left, she managed to avoid quite a few shots but was eventually hit, since her back was exposed. The propeller from her heliblade was severely damaged. Black smoke came out of it, and it stopped moving.

"No!" - Piper screamed.

Her skyride nosedived in the sky, falling fast towards the small Terra.

"She's going to crash!" - the boy shouted, his companion perking its ears in alert.

She needed help! The boy exchanged glances with the little animal, the latter responding him with a nod, then both ran inside the cave once more.

Piper's heliblade fell quickly and crashed against the ground, bouncing one from the impact. Once it hit the ground again, the girl was tossed away from it. Talk about a rough landing… She slowly got up, pressing a hand against her head to ease her pain.

She barely had enough time to balance herself back on her feet when three switchblades approached her. The three soldiers pointed their staves with red crystals on their tips at her, threateningly.

"Fine, I give up!" - she held her hands up where they could see them as she surrendered.

However, the talons smiled menacingly.

"After all the trouble you caused, you're not going to get away with it so easily." - one of the talons said, suggesting they were not going to take her as prisoner, they'd kill her on the spot, maybe even torture her a little before finishing her off.

She stared at them in fear as she fell to her knees in defeat. She knew they were going to do terrible things to her. That was it. She was done for, she was a goner, she was… But then, something happened, a miracle: from behind the talons, a boy leaped, shouting at them and drawing their attention. Once they looked at him, he slashed at them with his two blades, sending them flying along with their rides cut in half.

The talons fell on the ground, the boy landing right in front of them, ready for battle. And not a second after, a small animal positioned itself beside the boy, assuming a fighting stance as well. Piper observed them, paying attention to every single detail in their appearance.

The boy was Caucasian, with green eyes and red spiky hair flowing messily around his head. He wore a red and teal shirt, navy blue pants, brown boots, brown and blue gloves and a metallic bracelet on his right wrist. He also had plated armor covering most of the vital areas in his body. One important detail that drew her attention was the Storm Hawks symbol on the plate on his left shoulder. She couldn't stop wondering how he got that armor. Was he… A Sky Knight? And that young? He didn't seem to be older than herself. Then she glanced at his animal companion.

The little animal looked like a mix of monkey, rabbit, and wolf with its long ears, hand-like paws, and furry tail. It had blue fur, brown irises in the middle of the yellow eyeballs and pink skin on its paws. It was actually wearing clothes: it wore a blue and purple uniform with a brown belt and a plated armor on its right shoulder. It also had some bandages tied on its wrists and ankles, and it had a brown backpack on its back. The little guy was certainly the boy's longtime partner, she could see it was very loyal to its friend and it was backing him up eagerly.

The talons dizzily sat up and looked at the boy. The red-haired young guy smiled arrogantly.

"Shame on you for ganging up on an unarmed girl. Why don't you fight a Sky Knight instead?" - he said confidently, the little animal nodding in agreement.

The three talons stood up and ran away in fear since a boy had just knocked them off their rides single-handedly, imagine what he'd do with the help of that animal! The boy placed his blades in his back as he looked at the girl and approached her.

"Are you okay?" - he asked as his little partner sat by his side, near the girl.

The girl stared at them speechless for a brief instant. Who were that mysterious knight in shining armor and his loyal animal companion that had arrived just in time to the rescue? She felt really lucky at that moment, there couldn't have been a better miracle than that. Or so she thought.

Soon all her luck suddenly felt drained again, for she heard the sounds of the engines of the huge battleship coming closer. She looked at the sky to see the red ship appearing from among the clouds. Her face was a frown, she didn't even have enough time to catch her breath and say something to her savior before the ship was within firing range. The boy seemed to have noticed that as well since he looked around hastily.

"Okay, that's quite the big fleet coming after you…" - he commented - "New plan: we'll go into hiding."

"Hiding? In this flat empty terra?" - the girl said in disbelief.

"Trust me, I know the perfect hiding place." - he offered her a hand to pull her to her feet.

She sighed a little unsure but shrugged it off.

"Well, you seem to know what you're doing." - she said.

The boy sprinted off, the girl and the animal running right behind him.

"Follow me, there's a cave nearby that'll take us underground!" - he shouted.

Without wasting any time, the three ran as fast as they could, vanishing into the cave. After walking by a short corridor, the boy pressed a button on the wall near him that sealed the entrance, concealing it from the Cyclonians.

"That's actually very clever!" - the girl commented.

"We should be safe in here for quite a while." - the boy said as he walked - "I don't think the talons will figure out where's the secret passage so soon, much less how to open it."

He and his animal companion took a few steps until they realized the girl wasn't moving from her standing position near the button on the wall. They noticed she stared at them unsure, so they figured she was probably uncomfortable being around a completely random guy and his animal partner inside an underground cave. Yeah… That was definitely an awkward situation, it was understandable.

"So… Are you alright?" - he asked since now they could talk without being interrupted.

"I'm fine." - she told him - "Thanks to you guys those Cyclonians didn't get to hurt me." - she humbly thanked them for saving her.

Now that he could properly hear her, the boy realized her voice was really soft. It felt almost like a melody in his ears. The little animal seemed to have shared the same thought like him since it perked its ears slightly and began to wag its tail.

"That's good to hear." - he smiled, then he turned around a little so he could let her know she could follow him inside - "But what did you do to make that fleet so mat at you?" - he questioned curiously.

"They were trying to invade my home Terra, so I stalled them to buy time for the villagers to escape." - she said as she walked after him.

"You actually managed to get the attention of the whole fleet?" - he was impressed - "You must have wrecked quite the havoc there, for them to get that focused on hunting you down."

"Maybe a little." - she confessed, smiling shyly, though still satisfied with what she did, then she turned serious again - "This… Armor of yours… It's… From the Storm Hawks, is it not?"

"Yeah. It was my father's old armor. He gave it to me when I became a Sky Knight." - he told her.

"So that means… You're Lightning Strike's son?" - she realized.

"Yep. The name's Aerrow." - he said proudly, pointing a thumb at himself - "What about you?"

"I'm Piper." - she said, then she stared at the animal walking on its rear legs, which made her smile - "And who's this little one?"

The monkey-rabbit-wolf-like animal chirped, greeting the girl.

"That's Radarr. He's my partner." - Aerrow introduced his friend, then he leaned closer to Piper, with a hand near his mouth - "Word of advice: never call him a pet. He really hates that." - he whispered to her.

The girl blinked a little confused, but quickly got the idea.

"I'll remember that. Thanks." - she said.

The three walked some more until they got to what looked like some ancient city underground. Piper was completely stunned. She had never seen a place like that. She only heard of those places in books.

"I can't believe this is real!" - she was surprised.

"Yeah, impressive, huh? This has been our hideout for quite a while already." - Aerrow told her - "We've pretty much settled down until we get news from our ship."

When he said that, he gestured to some skyrides parked nearby.

"Wow, all these belong to you?" - she asked.

"They're some reserve rides my father's squadron had." - he explained - "I managed to rescue them when my home Terra was attacked. This one here, though, is mine already." - he pointed to the Air Skimmer III Ultra which was the skimmer that had a cockpit on its right booster.

The girl walked closer to the skyrides to observe them. She passed by two skimmers, one was a standard Air Skimmer III that had a retractable crossbow built in and the other was an Air Skimmer III EL, which had some bombs and missiles attached to its wings. Those were some powerful rides, alright. Then she saw a strange looking buggy skyride and stopped by it, staring at that one with a weird expression.

"That's quite a peculiar skyride." - she commented.

"Yeah, that's a customized one. That's the only one in existence." - Aerrow shrugged.

Piper nodded then walked to the other skyride. It was a Heliscooter. It was a lot smaller than the other rides. She could see it was certainly a lot easier to maneuver, though it was probably a lot more vulnerable from the lack of armor. Still, it was quite a cute skyride. She somehow felt fond of it.

"This one is actually adorable." - she said smiling as she briefly touched the frontal glass.

The boy grinned at the compliment.

"You can take it for a spin if you want." - he said to her.

"Really? Oh… Thank you." - she said shyly - "Then maybe later. I'd still like to know more about this place first."

At that, she noticed her reflection in the Heliscooter's glass, so she proceeded to adjust heir orange hair band and some locks of hair that weren't in place. The boy looked at her funny, drawn by that scene, wondering what was she suddenly going on about there.

"I wish I had a comb with me." - she mumbled softly, then she felt Radarr tugging on her pants and turned her head to him to see he was offering himself to help her with her hair - "Oh, you want to give me a hand?" - she asked, which made him nod, then he climbed on her back and stroke her hair with his front paws, his thin fingers working like a comb, and once he was done, he leaped back on the ground, letting the girl check herself out again - "Wow, you're a really talented hairdresser. It's just the way I like it to be. Thank you, Radarr." - she knelt and petted him in reward.

He chirped happily. He was really starting to grow fond of that girl! Aerrow observed that with a smile in his face, he was clearly amused for some reason. A moment later he felt the silence was getting awkward, so he figured a subject to talk about.

"So… Want me to show you around?" - he offered - "I know it doesn't look like it, but there are a lot more things to see in this place than what you'd think."

"That'd be great!" - she said in response.

And then they walked again. They explored the whole place: they entered every building, she was shown every booby-trap, they saw every single inch of that big city. After quite a while strolling around, they got to some ruins and headed towards a cave.

"There are some pretty cool statues in the room ahead. I bet you're going to like that." - Aerrow said.

Piper nodded, but then she turned serious. She had been thinking of a few things she wanted to ask him.

"How long have you been here?" - she asked.

"I think this became our hideout for the past two years." - he said in thought - "Ever since we ran from our home Terra with some of the squadron's equipment, we've been waiting for news from my father. But so far we haven't received any, so I tried to contact my ship and get someone to bring it here, or at least somewhere safe to dock. Then I'd go find my father myself." - he told her.

"I hope your father is okay. This war has been becoming worse with every passing day." - Piper sympathized with him.

"I'm sure he's fine. He is the best of the best." - the boy said confidently.

The girl just looked at him a little worried. She just hoped what he had said wasn't only wishful thinking.

"What was it like to live this way for two years?" - she changed the subject.

"It was hard in the beginning, I'll admit." - he shrugged - "At first we were completely lost. But then we found this underground city and improvised. Since then, everything's been a lot easier."

"But… Being away from everyone you knew… Don't you ever feel lonely?"

The boy didn't reply right away. He looked upwards as if he were giving the question a thought, then he stared at her knowingly.

"Not anymore." - he grinned at her.

She looked at him with a blank expression for a moment. Did he just…? Yep, he did. She smiled back at him, a genuine feeling of gratefulness radiating from it. Looks like they were off to an amazing start already. They were getting along on really good terms from the beginning. It seemed they were going to be great friends from then on. And who would ever guess, that in times like those, such a nice friendship was born? Their new bond was a gem.


	4. The Gift of Hope

* * *

**Chapter III**

**The Gift of Hope**

After having shown Piper around the city, Aerrow found a nice place where she could settle down for the time being, like her own room. She spent a while on a kind of library since she loved reading. During one evening in which the sky was getting darker and darker for the night was coming, she had picked up a book and sat by the edge of the Terra to read it. She stopped by a certain page, which made her frown. She rested her head on her hand, shaking it a little and sighing sadly.

A few steps could be heard coming from behind her. Aerrow and Radarr had seen her there by herself and wanted to make her some company.

"Hey there. What are you doing here all alone?" - the boy greeted.

"I was just reading a book about some crystals." - she told him, then stared back at the page.

He noticed her upset mood, so he sat beside her.

"Something wrong?" - he asked.

"It's nothing. I just… While I was reading this book I found this." - she showed him the page, it was talking about a purple crystal he had never heard about before - "This crystal is a rare kind and it can be found in my home Terra. I used to have a few of them. They're nothing special, really, their power is quite silly actually, but…" - she trailed off.

"They still mean something." - he completed her speech for her, and she stared at him glad he understood that.

"Yeah." - she nodded - "The Cyclonians must have snatched everything from my home Terra by now, though. So I guess I'll never see those crystals again." - she said as she closed the book and stood up - "Well, at least everyone I knew escaped safely, so that's enough for me."

"Never is a really long time, you know?" - he began as he stood up as well - "I'm sure our forces will win this war soon, then you'll be able to have plenty of those crystals just for yourself. I've already gotten news from my ship. It's about to be docked in a Terra nearby, we can go there in the morning two days from now."

She smiled at his positive thinking and his attempt to cheer her up, but she had a logical mindset, so it was hard to truly believe things would get better easily or soon. Still, she decided to hide her feelings, she didn't want to bother him any longer.

"I'll go pack a few things then. Good night, Aerrow. Good night, Radarr." - she said as she turned around and left for the cave.

"Good night…" - he replied.

He could sense she was still depressed. Who wouldn't be? Everything she knew and grew attached to was probably gone by now. He knew what that felt like all too well. Radarr climbed on his shoulder and chirped sadly, almost as if he were asking what they should do. The boy thought for a moment, and an idea hit him. He knew how to really cheer her up.

* * *

 

In the middle of that night, Aerrow and Radarr woke up and prepared a skimmer. They were going on a secret mission. They sneaked out in the dark of the night, without waking Piper up. They took off and flew in low altitude, being covered by the clouds. They kept flying until they saw a mass of earth in the distance.

"That must be Piper's home Terra." - the boy whispered to his partner - "Let's scan it first, to be sure we won't run into any Cyclonians."

They sped up towards the Terra. Once they were within enough range, Aerrow pulled out some binoculars to take a look. He saw a few troops there. They were just casually defending the area since the village was in ruins. The Sky Knight now guessed he'd have a hard time finding what he was looking for.

"All that trouble for a Terra with just a small village of innocent people… The Cyclonians don't know when to quit, do they?" - Aerrow mumbled in disbelief - "They have to be stopped."

They flew closer to the Terra and landed there without being seen or heard. They stealthily made their way through the area, hiding on bushes and crawling around, searching for a certain something.

A few minutes later, the boy suddenly heard his partner making noises to warn him, pointing to a direction. He followed Radarr's finger and saw some Cyclonians loading a few crates with a couple of crystals inside near a tent. One of them was purple and looked familiar. He blinked. That was the one! He had to find a way of snatching it from them.

He thought for a brief moment, and he was enlightened by a plan. He stared at his friend, who got the message and nodded. The little animal jumped out of a bush and proceeded to bark angrily at one of the Cyclonians.

"Hey! What's going on?" - the man shouted, then he was bitten on the leg by Radarr and started running around screaming for help.

"Look out, it's a rabid animal!" - another soldier exclaimed, drawing the attention of the other guards nearby - "We gotta take it down now!"

They all went to chase Radarr, who ran as fast as he could, dragging the Cyclonians with him. Aerrow smiled. That distraction was perfect, now was his chance. He quickly walked towards the crate and grabbed the purple crystal from it, placing it safely on his pocket.

He was about to leave when he saw another crate with tons of purple crystals, but they looked a little bit different: those were leechers. He grinned mischievously. He knew how to get back at the Cyclonians. For now, at least, but that was surely better than doing nothing.

He picked the crate up and tossed it against the pile of crates near the tent, knocking it over. The noise drew the attention of some soldiers who went to check what was happening. The boy didn't waste his time and bolted out of there before they could see him. The group of Cyclonians got to the tent only to see the leechers starting to glow and suddenly explode.

The loud noise and the ground shaking made the soldiers chasing Radarr completely ignore the little animal and go back to see what was going on in the tent. Radarr took the chance to meet with Aerrow again near their skimmer and both left the Terra unseen.

"Mission accomplished." - Aerrow smiled in triumph.

Radarr nodded proudly in agreement. Best mission ever, so far. The little guy couldn't wait until the next time they'd kick some Cyclonian tail. He simply loved doing that!

* * *

 

After a little while, they landed back on their Terra, coming from the opposite side so Piper wouldn't notice them appearing. They silently parked the ride near the others and went to check on her in her room. Aerrow knocked on the door, causing it to open slightly. They exchanged glances and peered inside, only to find out she wasn't there.

A little worried, they quickly went to check if there was any ride missing. Thankfully, all the skimmers, the customized buggy, and the heliscooter were there, untouched. If she was walking around on foot she couldn't have gone too far, so she had to still be in the area. They looked over the city, but no sign of her. They figured she must have been outside, then.

They walked a little and sighted her near another edge of the Terra, staring at the sunrise. Aerrow frowned a little, then he noticed Radarr was no longer on his shoulder. He looked around and found the little animal a few steps behind him, encouraging him to go there and talk to her. The boy glanced at her for a second, then looked back at his friend and nodded.

The girl stared sadly at the sun shyly coming out from behind the clouds. She sighed a little, tightening her grip around herself. She heard some steps getting closer, and this time she could notice it wasn't a pair of steps, but one single person's. Aerrow approached her and stood a couple feet behind her. He briefly looked at the sun, realizing it was indeed a nice view.

"Hey." - he greeted her warmly.

"Hi." - she responded with a weak smile.

Then she stared at the ground and he ended up doing the same. How to begin, in the first place? If he commented about what he had brought her, she'd definitely ask about what he saw in her Terra. And he didn't want to bring bad news to her. Sometimes not knowing lessened the sadness.

"Aerrow." - she drew his attention - "I didn't see you or Radarr this morning. Were you somewhere else?" - she asked him.

"We were patrolling the area, we can't ever be too careful." - he said.

"Did you see something? You seem worried." - she questioned.

Too late now. She was a lot smarter than he had previously guessed. She could easily get that he had something in his mind. There was no way of avoiding that anymore.

"Yeah, well, Radarr and I caught a glimpse of your home Terra and went to scan it." - he rubbed the back of his head.

"How bad is the situation there? Did you run into Cyclonians?" - she inquired.

"There are a few troops there protecting some loot they found." - he told her as he looked away.

"I bet they scavenged every corner of the Terra, even though there's nothing valuable in there. The place must be in ruins." - Piper said in thought as she stared at the ground, drawing his stare back to her - "Why do they do this? What could they possibly gain through that?" - she shook her head in disbelief.

He looked at her for a moment, studying her emotions. Guess he somehow managed to set the mood. That was the best chance he could find. He smiled a little.

"You know, they didn't manage to steal everything from there." - he said, making her blink in thought - "I brought something back for you."

She turned to look at him, then she saw him offering her a purple crystal that was all too familiar to her. She blinked surprised, a shy smile perking on her face. She couldn't believe it! He had actually found one! And… He went through the trouble of bringing it back… To her… Just to make her happy. She felt warm inside. Her heart was beating faster and she was consumed by such a strange feeling of joy.

"I know what it's like to go through something like that, so I thought that bringing this crystal to you would ease your pain, at least a little." - Aerrow said.

That boy… Aerrow… He was something else. He didn't even know her for that long and yet he went out of his way to bring a smile to her face. That was the sweetest thing someone had ever done for her. Because of that simple gesture she knew she could trust him, she knew she could count on him, she knew that he cared about her, she knew that he'd be there for her, and above all that… She knew she was starting to have feelings for him.

She gladly accepted the gift, taking it from his hand and staring at it longingly.

"I… I don't know what to say. This is wonderful." - she was quite moved - "I can't thank you enough." - she beamed at him, holding the crystal firmly in front of her heart.

"Hey, seeing you happy again is a reward already." - he told her, which made her blush heavily - "I'm curious now, though, what does this crystal do?"

She quickly smiled, hiding her red cheeks.

"It's a spring crystal. They have the power to unleash all the good things about spring." - she said as she activated the crystal.

The purple crystal glowed in her hand and began releasing some flowers, butterflies and water droplets that soon created a small rainbow. They heard Radarr chirping happily while chasing away a few butterflies that surrounded him. They giggled at the scene, exchanging glances.

"That's actually a pretty cool crystal. No wonder it's special." - Aerrow commented.

"Yeah. I can't wait to use this when we get to cheer on our victory." - Piper said.

The boy grinned, a wide smile illuminating his face.

"Now you're talking!" - he placed a hand on her shoulder as both proceeded to walk back to the cave - "I'm sure you won't wait long, Piper. I just got some news from my ship again and it's already docked so we can go there right away."

"That's great news, Aerrow!" - the girl said.

"Yeah. I'll go ready our rides, then. You should pack anything you wanna take with you and meet me there at 9 o'clock." - he told her as he sprinted ahead.

She watched him go, Radarr running after him, then stared at the crystal in her hand again. She decided she'd do anything to be helpful. She would pack the best crystals she could find in that Terra. She'd put all her talents as a Crystal Mage to test and do her best. She would not ever let Aerrow down. If she could count on him like that, she'd make sure he'd be able to count on her as well.


	5. The Ambush

* * *

**Chapter IV**

**The Ambush**

Soon it was 9 o'clock, and Piper met Aerrow and Radarr near an improvised landing strip as he had instructed her to. She had a backpack with her, filled with several different kinds of crystals.

"I see you're well prepared." - the boy commented after noticing her bag.

"Ha, I hope I'm prepared enough." - she said nervously as both walked towards the rides - "Who knows what we might encounter on this journey."

"I'm sure we'll be fine." - he stopped by his skimmer - "Have you ever flown a heliscooter before?"

"Not really." - she confessed - "But it certainly looks more maneuverable than the heliblade I snatched from the Cyclonians." - she placed a hand on the frontal plate.

"And you're right, it is. But it's a little slower than a skimmer." - he said as he climbed on his ride.

"I think I can catch up." - she smiled while she sat on the scooter's seat and accelerated it, going a little bit ahead of him.

He saw her and blinked quite impressed, then accelerated his own skimmer, quickly getting beside her again. He noticed she was a lot eager and also happier and more enthusiastic than a while ago. He was glad he had helped her. For some reason, she seemed to give him more confidence when she acted like that. She gave him strength, and he surely would want her to be around.

They drove for a few seconds until they reached the edge of the Terra. Then they took off smoothly, flying in the skies.

* * *

 

They flew for a while, the soft breeze blowing on their faces, a refreshing feeling of being free washing down their worries.

"It's been a while since I've last flown like this." - Piper said.

"Yeah, same here. The sky is so calm today. We're lucky." - Aerrow commented.

However, soon the universe felt like opposing him because some shots were fired towards them, startling them and making them stare behind them. A group of switchblades was charging at them.

"I'm afraid we just got out of luck." - the girl cowered nervously - "We managed to run right into a Cyclonian patrol unit."

"No, they're not patrolling…" - the Sky Knight narrowed his eyes - "That's an ambush, they're reinforcements."

"Reinforcements? Why?" - she asked.

"I guess it was my fault." - the boy assumed - "When Radarr and I went to your Terra, I kind of… Caused an explosion there."

"W-what? What did you do?" - she questioned him.

"Well, ya know, the old toss crater of leechers on a pile of crystals prank." - he smiled sheepishly as he rolled his eyes playfully - "I just wanted to get back at them for what they did to your Terra." - he shrugged.

Piper blushed at that, a shy smile gracing her features. He simply never ceased to make her feel good, to show that he cared. But her little moment of joy was quickly interrupted by another wave of shots aimed at them. Fortunately, they managed to avoid the blasts.

"Split up!" - Aerrow shouted as he sped up to a different direction.

The two went separate ways, each dragging a few Cyclonians behind them. One of the enemy soldiers shot at Piper and hit the only booster on her skyride. Her heliscooter malfunctioned a little, but it could still fly. The Cyclonian moved his hand near his ear as if he were about to give a command to the rest of the troops.

The girl saw that and quickly retaliated, grabbing a tiny green crystal from her bag and unleashing a shockwave towards the switchblades following her. The Cyclonians' earpieces were fried instantly, cutting off all the communication between them.

"That should prevent them from calling more troops after us." - she smiled proudly as she maneuvered towards some clouds in an attempt to lose the soldiers chasing her.

While that, Aerrow had some enemies to fight as well. There were two soldiers following him as he flew fast in the sky. He looked in front of him and saw more three attempting to flank him. He grinned to himself, then nodded a command to Radarr.

The boy jumped on his skimmer's wings as the little animal quickly assumed the pilot's position. He then leaped on the nearest switchblade, slashing against one of its wings, jumped to the next one, slicing the rear booster off the ride, and destroyed the engine of the third one, somersaulting off it and landing back on his skimmer.

After that, there were only two more to deal with. He kicked the first Cyclonian off the switchblade, then jumped, spinning in the air and drawing some energy from his blades. A pair of wings formed behind him, then he moved his swords in front of him, making the angelic wings collide and turn into a bolt of energy that flew fast and blasted the last Cyclonian away.

Piper was observing from the distance. She was completely mesmerized. He looked really amazing when performing his Sky Knight move. He literally resembled some kind of angel! Could he ever be any more impressive? Then she saw him blowing up two skyrides with one single special move. Yes. Yes, he could… She clenched a hand in front of her heart, smiling and blushing softly. But she barely had any time to admire him when another shot collided with her heliscooter, severely damaging its booster.

She nearly lost control of the ride and to make things worse, the booster stopped working at all and smoke came out of it. She desperately tried to keep some altitude, since at least the propeller was still functioning. Three switchblades pursued her. Aerrow noticed that and immediately took the pilot's seat to go help her.

"Piper! Hang on!" - he shouted as he sped up after them.

But another talon got in the way, obliging him to take the soldier down before going to assist Piper. As he jumped on the enemy's ride, he glanced towards Piper to see if she was still flying. He watched as she dodged some shots and pulled out a green crystal from her backpack.

"Stabilize!" - she shouted as she clenched her fist against the crystal, activating it.

The crystal created a force field around the damaged booster, repairing it instantly. Now being able to accelerate again, the girl flew faster to buy her some time to grab the crystals she needed in her bag. Once she got hold of two crystals, one blue and another yellow, she lifted them in the air, absorbed their energy then rammed them against each other in front of her, unleashing a huge shockwave.

Aerrow blinked at that. What was happening?! Several shockwaves came like pulses, colliding with the Cyclonians and completely destroying their rides. The moment the boy got rid of the soldier he was fighting against, he quickly landed on his skimmer and chased after Piper.

"Sorry for the delay. I hope I didn't cause you any trouble." - the girl said as he approached her.

"Trouble? Not at all!" - he said - "But… Wow! What was all that power? I've never seen anything like it before."

"That's the art of the Crystal Mastery." - she told him - "I've been practicing it ever since I was very young."

"That was incredible!" - he smiled - "You actually had the power to take down the whole reinforcement squadron with one single blow!"

"Yeah, but I still need to train more. There's so much to learn." - she said - "At least I think I know enough to take care of myself."

"Talk about taking care of yourself…" - he commented - "And here I thought I'd have the chance to help you again. Guess maybe another time."

Piper blinked and blushed once more. Was he actually saying he wanted to… Rescue her? He wanted to be her knight in shining armor? Her… Hero? Nah, now that was a lot. She figured she was just daydreaming too much, that simply had to be wishful thinking coming from a girl with a crush on a guy, an awesome guy, alright. Who wouldn't love to be rescued by the person they are infatuated with anyway, right?

She pushed those thoughts aside as they flew in the skies towards a Terra, towards their next objective. There a ship was supposed to be waiting for them. To take them to their destiny, which would end the war once and for all.


	6. A Hero's Duty

* * *

**Chapter V**

**A Hero's Duty**

A while later, Aerrow, Piper, and Radarr arrived at the Terra where Aerrow's ship was parked at. It was a smaller version of the Condor, just for the son of Lightning Strike. They safely landed on the edge of the Terra and drove towards the docks.

"Wow. It looks exactly like the pictures I've seen in the books!" - the girl said in awe as they approached the huge ship - "It's beautiful!"

"Books, huh? Guess my father is quite famous. Sometimes a little too famous for his own good." - the boy looked away with a worried expression.

Piper noticed that, which made her frown a little. Aerrow's father was fighting in the war at that very moment. She figured he was really worried about him. Even though when they first met he showed a lot of confidence on his father, she knew deep down he still couldn't help but hope he'd be okay. He might be good, but he was still a human. However, she somehow felt like giving him more confidence. Worrying too much wouldn't help.

"Well, I've read that Lightning Strike is the best Sky Knight in the world." - she drew his attention - "I'm sure he must be kicking some Cyclonian tail right now."

"Yeah, you're right." - he smiled at her.

Yes, worrying wouldn't help. Besides, she really liked the way he always flashed a grin at her. It made her heart skip a beat every single time. He made her feel safe and… Loved. Even though she didn't know if there was even a very slim possibility that he might think of her that way, she couldn't help but… Just daydream a little. That made her blush awkwardly. Oh, she was starting to act like a little girl immersed in some fairytale, wishing for a prince charming to come to her on a white horse.

She quickly looked him over, without him noticing. Well, he definitely had the armor, the charm, and the white horse. She glanced at his skimmer. What a magnificent white horse, by the way. Ah! Okay, now that was really a heck of drift. Back to reality, back to reality. Her inner 5-year-old girl had awakened, now she'd have to put her to rest again. She was a big girl now, she couldn't think such foolish things. She had to be mature, smart… And brave… Kind… Devoted… Handsome…

Oh! There she goes again! Impossible, there was no escape. But at least she was happy she had become that fond of someone so special like Aerrow. He was an amazing person, it was rare to find his qualities in somebody that young. She couldn't dream of what would become of him when he grew older. She wished all the luck in the world to him, and she hoped he'd be able to meet his father, well and alive, soon.

"Here we are, this ramp gives us access to the hangar bay." - Aerrow said.

Piper blinked, snapping out of her thoughts. Wow, was she grateful for having him to bring her back to the real world. If it weren't for that, she'd have been lost in her dreams all day long! She followed him and parked the heliscooter beside his skimmer.

"From here this ship looks a lot bigger than from outside." - she commented.

"Yeah. It has a different design from the original one." - he told her - "The ship is smaller, but each compartment has more space than normal because the walls are a little bit thinner. They're made from a more resistant material, though. That makes this ship faster and relatively more resistant than the original Condor." - he explained - "We've called it the Condor 2.0."

"That's impressive." - she said in awe - "What do you think it'll be like when you get to lead a squadron?"

"That's going to be awesome!" - he said excitedly - "Radarr is going to be my co-pilot, we'll have a wingman, a carrier pilot, a flight engineer…" - he imagined in his head what would his team be like - "And… I think there's a slot for a Crystal Mage too. If someone's interested." - he hinted.

She blinked and smiled. Was he inviting her?!

"Really?" - she asked, to which he nodded - "Oh, I'd love to join you!"

"Then it's settled. Welcome to the future Storm Hawks." - he said warmly as he put a hand on her shoulder.

She beamed gratefully at him. He didn't really know why, but he always felt a strange urge to see her smile, and when he was able to, he felt such an odd feeling of tranquility. Yeah, she really had the talent to soothe his mind. And because of that, she helped him focus on what was important. It was great having someone to share his worries with, after all.

They entered a corridor that went from the hangar to the bridge. There, Piper could see how advanced was that newer version of the ship, compared to the original Condor.

"It definitely looks different." - she said, her eyes scanning every corner of the room.

"Yep, the same guy that built the customized skyride you saw helped me upgrade this ship." - Aerrow told her.

"The two of you made all these modifications by yourselves?" - she asked as she looked over the control panel near the helm.

"Most tiresome weeks of my whole life." - he commented while he rested his fists on his hips - "But it was totally worth it."

Radarr climbed on his shoulder, nodding in agreement. Both stared proudly at his work.

"I can see that. Wow…" - she said as she spun around, looking at everything. It was all so breathtaking.

"We've got a crystal lab too, I'm sure you're going to love to check it out." - he told her.

She immediately turned to him, an even larger smile spread across her face. He probably knew of her soft spot towards crystals now, by the amused look on his face after he saw her eyes glimmering expectantly. He nodded for her to follow him. He took her to a smaller room that had a desk, a table for experiments and several lockers and storage compartments filled with tons of equipment.

"Oh my… You actually have every single tool in here!" - she gasped excitedly while examining the lockers - "But how did you get all of this?"

"I had quite a reliable source of information." - he opened one of the storage compartments and pulled out a book, placing it on the desk - "I know it's not that impressive, though."

Once she saw the title, Piper couldn't help but giggle. It was a manual for basic Crystal Mastery studies, probably a book he got in the library of some academy.

"It's not something out of the extraordinary, but it's really helpful anyway." - she said - "Still, why did you think you'd need this? Crystal Mastery is something really rare nowadays."

"I know the Master of Cyclonia is a Crystal Mage. So I figured it'd be good having one on our side to balance things a little." - he shrugged.

"That's a valid point. And pretty smart thinking." - she smiled - "I just wish I could be as skilled a Crystal Mage as the Master. I don't know if I'd be powerful enough to fend off against her, much less defeat her." - she stared at the ground.

"Hey, don't worry. You don't have to fight her if you don't want. It's not your responsibility." - he said - "But even if you did wish to face her, I'm sure you'd be fine." - he reassured her.

"Ha, you think so? She must have had the opportunity to study for years, she's an Empress, after all, she'd never have a lack of books and material. Me? I've learned through trial and error and with only a few crystals. There's no way my knowledge matches hers." - she said with a slightly urgent tone.

He could see she was taking all that very seriously. She really wanted to help and be useful, not just "tag along for some adventure".

"And I've seen what you've done with the 'little knowledge' you say you have." - he told her - "Now that you said how you've taught yourself all you know, it just makes you even more skilled. You didn't have a teacher or a guide, you learned on your own, the hard way. Shouldn't that make you an even better Crystal Mage than her?" - he commented - "I mean, if you had access to her sources, I'm certain you'd be far more powerful than she could ever dream of being."

Piper thought about that for a second. He had a really good point. She didn't have a clue of how to begin her training, and yet, on her own, she got very far. At least, a lot further than a normal person could get.

"Maybe… But that doesn't change the fact that I'm not better than her. Not yet." - she said disappointed at herself.

"Perhaps not yet, but soon you'll be." - he assured her.

She was impressed by how confident he was in her abilities. That was quite flattering. She smiled at him, grateful for his faith in her, and nodded, inspired by his words. She then remembered how she promised herself she'd not let him down. After this, she was even more determined to keep that promise.

"Thanks. I guess you're right." - she said.

"I know you can do this. And you'll see how well you've progressed. You clearly have a knack for this." - he told her - "Well, I'll let you settle down, now. I gotta make a few preparations on the bridge before we take off."

He left the room to do his duties while she sat down on a bench near the desk and placed her backpack on top of it. She opened the bag and stared at all the crystals inside. If she wanted to get better, she should start practicing. She placed some of the crystals on the desk and studied them a little.

She decided to explore new powers, to go beyond her limits and learn the deepest secrets of the Crystal Mastery. She knew there were some risks to it, but she was prepared to take them. She stared at a few green crystals among the ones she had set on the table. She had known for a while those ones had special properties, so she thought she'd go straight to the most powerful techniques.

She focused a little, causing those crystals to glow and float. The more she thought about her objectives, the more energy she drew from the crystals and they'd spin around her faster and faster, generating even a soft breeze in the room. She would get stronger, she'd become the best crystal mage in the whole world, she'd help Aerrow win that war once and for all, no matter the cost.

* * *

 

Aerrow and Radarr were on the engine room, checking if everything was in order.

"Let's see, all the valves are set up, the pressure on the cooler is okay, the temperature on the crystal converter matrix is correct, the oil and water levels are fine and we have more than enough fuel." - he marked on a list - "Yeah, everything is in check. Time to take off."

The little animal chirped in agreement as both went to the bridge. The Sky Knight went straight to the helm and pulled a lever, starting the engines. He quickly scanned the control panel for anything that he could have missed in the engine room. Nothing. Perfect. He twisted the handles of the helm a little, giving the ship a little boost.

Without wasting time, he accelerated the ship forward, making it fall off the dock. He quickly pulled up the wheels and shot out in the sky. A very smooth take off. Piper appeared, coming from the corridor and stood near the window.

"You actually know how to pilot a carrier ship pretty well." - she said.

"I've practiced a little beforehand, this isn't the first time I fly one." - he told her.

"Still, I've seen you're very skilled with a skimmer. And now I can also see you're able to fly a ship just perfectly." - she commented - "This is all natural for you, huh?"

"Maybe. I'm not the best carrier pilot ever, though, I know quite a few people that are a lot better than me. But I do admit I know a few tricks with a skyride." - he shrugged.

"Oh, I can tell that. You're really good at this. I saw you fighting those Cyclonians, you make Sky Duels seem so easy." - she said in awe - "I'd like to see more of your tricks one day. You were definitely born to fly."

"I guess it helps that I always feel at home in the sky." - he confessed - "I can't imagine living without the thrill of exploring it. So that's why I won't allow Cyclonia to conquer the skies from us."

"And we won't let them." - she said to him as she placed a fist in front of her heart - "We'll win this, together."

He smiled warmly at her. She walked towards the balcony so she could have a better view. She stood outside, her hair flowing along with the wind. Radarr joined her, enjoying the breeze. She beamed at him and patted him on the head. He chirped happily and rubbed his head against her hand fondly. Aerrow watched that silently, an approving grin never leaving his face.

"How's the view from there?" - he asked.

"It's amazing! You should see it!" - she said excitedly, but then she suddenly frowned - "Wait, but, aren't we way too exposed? What if the Cyclonians see us again? Shouldn't we fly under cover?"

"You're right. I'll take us below the clouds then." - he said - "We'll have to fly with zero viz for a while, so we gotta be careful."

He pulled the helm, making the ship sink among the clouds. They could no longer be seen, so they'd not have to worry about any Cyclonians tracking them.

* * *

 

After quite a while flying like that, they encountered a thicker cloud and passed through it. Once they exited the huge mass of water and air, they saw an open area filled with a lot of fog.

"Where are we?" - Piper asked.

They looked around. There were several stalagmites and ship wreckages all over the place. The fog was very thick, making it a little harder to breathe.

"I've heard of this place before… This is Terra Deep." - Aerrow commented.

"Terra Deep? The dangerous place where the Murk Raiders live?" - the girl said nervously.

"Yeah. They haven't found us yet, so I think we're good." - he said.

But not one second later, they heard the noise of a sound scanner. Then a horn all too peculiar.

"It's them!" - Piper shouted.

Aerrow accelerated the ship very fast, in an attempt to lose them. But the pirates were quick too, and Aerrow's clever maneuvers around the spikes proved useless since they could just blow them up and follow them on a straight line. The Sky Knight couldn't hit the high-speed impeller because the Condor 2.0 was way too fast and they'd only end up crashing against one of those stalagmites.

"They're still chasing us. We'll have to fight them, there's no other choice." - Aerrow said.

"What?! The three of us against their whole crew?! We'll be overwhelmed!" - she nearly shouted, from so alarmed she was.

"I think we can do this." - he said confidently.

"But Aerrow…" - she tried to make him see their conditions.

"Trust me." - he said, then walked towards the corridor, Radarr close behind him - "Let's kick them back to the darkness where they belong."

Piper followed them, completely nervous, but trusting his lead. He took her to a room where they could arm themselves.

"You have plenty of weapons here." - she said.

"Here, I think you'll like this one." - he handed her an energy staff.

She swung it a little, feeling it, and confirmed she was able to wield it.

"It's perfect." - she smiled.

"Great. Then let's give those pirates a warm welcome they deserve." - he said as he headed to the hangar.

They all stood on the hangar bay, near their skyrides. They readied themselves for combat. Soon they felt the ship shaking, and very big metallic teeth pierced through the armor, removing a chunk of the Condor 2.0's hull. From that hole came out several pirates, almost like an army, all charging with their swords in hand.

Aerrow and Piper positioned themselves in fighting stances. One of the pirates jumped at the girl, striking with his blade against her staff, which she had used to parry his blow just in time. He growled at her, and she responded with a determined look and a swing of her weapon, slamming it against his face. His eyes spun a little and he fainted.

While that, the Sky Knight was fending off against a whole group of pirates. He leaped in the middle of them, then spun around, knocking all of them away with a swift move. Right after he had done that, another pirate came inside the ship: it was their leader, Captain Scabulous.

"Oh, I guess I'm going to crash in here for a while." - he said mockingly.

"How about I make you crash out of here?!" - Aerrow challenged as he charged at the pirate.

Their blades clashed, a fight of power began. As they battled, Radarr ran from an enemy chasing after him. He got himself cornered and quickly turned around, staring nervously at his pursuer. The pirate smiled smugly and prepared to land a blow. But the little animal didn't let him, he growled rabidly, which caused the pirate to step back then run away, giving Radarr the chance to chase him around.

Piper watched as the co-pilot made a few more pirates run away in fear, when a pirate with a metallic arm stepped closer to her, challenging her. She readied herself and he shot at her a few times. She parried every single shot with her staff, then ricocheted one of them right back at her attacker, hitting him on the head, knocking him out cold. She smiled triumphantly then looked around for Aerrow.

He was still fighting the leader of the Murk Raiders. They parried and dodged each other's strikes. Their skills were pretty much matched, but the pirate was a little bit more resilient than Aerrow since he wasn't even human, he was an undead, and the undead can't get tired or worn out.

He kicked Aerrow away, making him bounce on his back and backflip to recover his footing. The boy stared at him angrily, then charged at him, clashing his twin swords against the pirate's blade.

"I'll show you what do we do to anyone who dares to come to our territory!" - the captain threatened.

"And I'll show you what do we do to rogues and thieves like you!" - the Sky Knight responded.

Aerrow pushed his swords upwards, staggering the pirate for a split second, then he jumped, somersaulting a little to gain momentum, and kicked the captain's face with all his might. The pirate was sent flying against a wall, what nearly knocked him out. Once his crew saw his defeat, they immediately lost their morale and went running back to their ship.

"You cowards! I ordered you to fight! I'll throw all of you off board!" - he yelled.

As he stared at his subordinates leaving, Piper and Aerrow stood in front of him.

"Wanna do the honors?" - the boy asked.

"My pleasure." - she said.

She pulled a windstone crystal out and focused a little, then she let out a really strong gust of wind, which pushed the captain away, back to his ship.

"Yeah! Alright!" - Aerrow cheered as he and Piper high fived.

The two of them ran towards the bridge, with Radarr right on their heels, to detach the Condor 2.0 from the Murk Raiders' ship's grasp. They accelerated a little and set off, shooting out in the distance. Captain Scabulous stood up and watched them go. He was enraged.

"You've made a big mistake." - he said in anger - "Fire the main cannon!" - he yelled.

The pirate's ship aimed its largest cannon at the core of the Condor 2.0, shooting a huge blast that collided with the engine room.

Aerrow, Piper, and Radarr felt the ship shaking a lot and noticed it was starting to lose altitude really fast.

"The engine room is completely destroyed!" - the girl exclaimed as she saw everything was going crazy on the control panel.

"We have to get out of here now!" - the boy said.

They sprinted towards the hangar, but the moment they opened the gate leading to the landing strip, they saw the ship was going to crash against a water surface. They both gasped, the Sky Knight quickly throwing himself against the girl to push both of them back inside the ship, sealing the door to the hangar one second before they hit the water.

They were squeezed on a tight corridor, Aerrow's arms resting on the wall around Piper, their bodies slightly pressed against each other's. She blushed at their closeness but pushed those thoughts aside to focus on their issue as he moved away a little after the turbulence ceased a little.

"What do we do now? We're underwater and our skyrides are gone." - she asked.

"I have some emergency breathers, we can use them to swim to the surface." - he said calmly as they walked towards the bridge again.

"You actually thought about this beforehand? That's incredible." - she commented.

Aerrow opened the locker where the diving uniforms were and they had an unpleasant surprise: there was only one breather a human could fit into, the other one would only fit on Radarr.

"Oh, no…" - she said alarmed - "This was all my fault, I shouldn't have suggested going under the clouds. We'd not have run into the Murk Raiders if we just flew normally."

"It's okay, I was the one who made us face them. I shouldn't have been that reckless, I underestimated them." - he said to her - "So take this one. I'll find another way out."

"What? No! You should take it! There's no other way out!" - she refused to take the helmet.

"Of course there is, don't worry about it." - he reached his arms out, holding the breather - "I can figure out a way to bring the Condor 2.0 ashore if I prevent the engine room from flooding."

"How? Didn't you see the engine room was destroyed?" - she gestured to its general direction - "What was left of it must be flooded right now!"

"The crystal matrix is sealed up tight. So it's still intact." - he told her - "I can link it directly to the boosters so I can at least take the ship out of here."

"This is crazy! This ship will flood before you manage to do that!" - she tried to make him understand how insane was his plan.

"Relax, I can make it. I'm a lot quicker than you think." - he attempted to ease her worries.

"I can't let you do that. You're going to drown!" - she said even more alarmed - "Aerrow, you have to lead an army. Lots of people need you. I'm just some random person from a small Terra. You're the son of Lightning Strike, you have to go." - she told him.

"So what? Look, you might think you're not important, but I'll tell you something: I need you." - he said as he pushed the breather against her hands - "You'll go with Radarr and help my father. You're a vital asset for this war, you have no idea."

She stared at him, her scared eyes looking deeply into his determined ones. He was caught a little bit off guard by that but didn't let it show up. He smiled reassuringly, nodding for her to take the breather with her. She obeyed him and took the helmet under one of her arms. The ship made a loud noise and shook, causing her to lose her balance for a second. Aerrow caught her quickly and held her until she recovered her footing.

She found herself in his arms and with her hand resting on his chest. She looked at him once again, even more desperate.

"Please, promise me you'll make it back." - she said, her pleading eyes staring at him expectantly.

He blinked a little surprised but didn't lose his composure. He smiled warmly at her.

"I will, I promise." - he assured her.

Without realizing, the two of them were drawn closer very slowly, almost as if there was some kind of magnetic link pulling them in. Radarr noticed that and a grin appeared on his face. Oh, something was going on there between them. That was his boy! He shook his fists eagerly. C'mon, Aerrow! He could do it! Just lean in a little more and…

Another loud noise and a sudden shake of the ship made everyone lose balance. Aerrow's and Piper's heads collided for a brief second. A bolt coming out of the ship's ceiling and ricocheting on the walls told them they didn't have much time.

"You better get out of here." - he said to her as he placed the breather on her head and sealed the air inside it.

"Don't forget your promise!" - she pleaded as she grabbed his hands and held them close to her heart.

"I won't. Now go, okay?" - he said.

Radarr took one of her hands and proceeded to guide her to the exit, her other hand still holding Aerrow's. Their grip on each other's hands loosened a little and they let go of each other. The co-pilot and the girl quickly ran towards the hangar, they sealed a door behind them, then opened the door to the hangar bay.

The water came in and completely filled the small space of the corridor they had sealed in a matter of seconds. That made Piper really worried, but Radarr made her focus on reaching the water surface. They swam for quite a while, and it was pretty tiresome, but they didn't stop or look behind them.

Aerrow was inside the ship, staring at an entrance to the access duct. He'd need to swim through there to get to the central valve that he'd have to use to seal the entrance to the crystal matrix. He breathed as much oxygen as he could and dived on the water. He swam swiftly towards the room with the central valve. He got to a ladder and boosted himself upwards. He opened the hatch to the room and leaped out of the water, on the floor.

He quickly reached the valve and closed it, sealing the crystal matrix. He went back to the access duct, swimming further towards the engine room. He got to the hatch of the core of the engine room, where the matrix was located and used the ladder to boost himself up again.

He entered the room and pulled out some cables from the walls around him. He used his blade's heat to fuse the cables together, creating a very long link he'd use between the crystal matrix and the Condor 2.0's boosters.

He connected one end of the link on the crystal matrix's control panel, then pulled the cable with him towards a pipe that would lead to the boosters. He climbed on the wall until he reached the pipe on the ceiling. He crouched and entered the pipe, dragging the long cable with him.

He pushed himself with his arms through the tight pipe towards the connection of the boosters. There was a point in which he started to feel a strange pressure coming from outside. He felt the pipe grow a lot colder, which meant it was in contact with the water. He didn't stop, though. Unfortunately, that was a bad decision for him.

When he was finally reaching the room where the boosters were connected, the force of the water broke the system of pipes, which cased the pipe he had just left to be dragged away, breaking the wall in the process. He was pulled by the force but managed to grab on the edge of the hole formed on the room. Still, his grip quickly loosened because a maelstrom was passing by, and the intense water current simply dragged him away from the ship.

He was pulled into that watery tornado, without any possibility of escaping. He rolled over himself countless times and felt his oxygen running out quickly since he barely had time to breathe before the water dragged him.

He had no idea of what to do. He'd drown in that lake. He'd leave Radarr behind. He'd break the promise he made to Piper. He'd… Before he could think of anything else, he was suddenly hit by a huge whale with tusks that had been caught in the maelstrom. It was probably a creature that lived in that lake. The animal seemed to be as distressed as he was, but unlike him, it couldn't think for itself.

Aerrow saw his opportunity to escape alive in there. He held himself onto its right tusk and moved around so he would be facing the creature. He waved his arm, getting its attention then pointed towards the water surface. The animal actually understood him and positioned itself in a way it'd flow along with the water current.

They followed the current, spinning several times around the maelstrom, then suddenly, the force of the pull threw them upwards really fast.

Piper and Radarr had arrived on the surface, near some kind of dock. The place seemed to have been abandoned for centuries. They stared at the water, looking for any sign of the Sky Knight until they saw some faint bubbles popping, which meant he was still breathing somewhere underwater and that the Condor 2.0 still had air inside.

"C'mon, Aerrow. You have to make it!" - the girl pleaded.

The co-pilot was just as worried as her. He sniffed sadly, hoping that his buddy would be okay. A few seconds later, the bubbles stopped coming to the surface. They blinked expectantly and as desperate as ever.

Then, all of a sudden, something really big came out of the water, shooting up in the sky. It was some kind of whale with glowing red eyes and huge tusks. It soared until it was on the same height as the moon. And it was then that they saw a silhouette of someone. A boy bent his torso backward to breathe as much air as he was worth it. The water droplets that flew out of his hair sparkled in the moonlight.

"Aerrow!" - Piper shouted, her hands clenched in front of her heart.

He had done it! He made it out alive! He… He kept his promise! Before he could even be aware of his surroundings, gravity pulled him and the beast downwards. He barely had time to use what little of strength he had left to open his glider and fly away, so he'd not hit the water again.

He glided towards the abandoned dock where Piper and Radarr stood, waiting for him and landed there on one foot, one hand and one knee. His two friends immediately sprinted towards him. He breathed heavily, extremely tired. Piper knelt beside him and threw her arms around his neck, giving him a hug. He blinked, caught off guard by that, then smiled and hugged her back.

Radarr arrived one second after that. The boy patted him on the head, thanking him for taking care of Piper, to which the animal responded with two thumbs up. Was he proud of his boy! Now that was what being a true hero was about!

They all stood up and walked out of those docks. They headed to an unknown place, where they'd have to spend the night and figure out a way to get to the rest of the Sky Knight army. But little did they know that some Cyclonians had managed to track them because of their fight against the Murk Raiders. The troops grinned evilly, they were going to capture some wanted enemies of Cyclonia.


	7. Dreams and Wishes

* * *

**Chapter VI**

**Dreams and Wishes**

Aerrow, Piper, and Radarr headed towards one of the ancient buildings. They looked quite similar to the underground city they were in before, but the difference was that the normal buildings were very small, probably containing only one room, while the temple was huge. They walked for quite a while, studying the place.

"Do you think they were built by the same people?" - the Sky Knight asked.

"I don't know, but that's very likely." - the girl commented.

They reached the temple, and when they went inside, they had a surprise: several crystals of many different kinds simply laid around all over the place. They gasped, they couldn't believe their eyes! That was such a convenient stroke of luck! Piper kneeled near some of the crystals and grabbed a few of them in her hands.

"This is great! They're exactly what I needed! I can do so many things now!" - she said excitedly.

But not one second later, they all felt the ground shaking a little, and then the roof simply exploded. From the hole formed in the ceiling came several Cyclonian switchblades shooting everywhere. Aerrow pulled his blades out and readied himself for combat, but he was ultimately overwhelmed by several waves of blasts aimed at him.

He managed to avoid being directly hit, but the explosions near him sent him flying. He landed on his back, then tried to get up, but an awful pain on his torso prevented him from doing so. He had definitely broken a rib or two in that attack.

Piper gasped and ran to help him, but stopped in her tracks when she saw the talons flying closer. She hid behind a broken wall, so she'd not draw the fire towards the boy again. She looked around, searching for somewhere she could go to flank the enemy soldiers, but other than that broken wall, there was nowhere else to hide, the place was pretty much an open field. She then noticed Radarr beside her, staring worriedly at Aerrow, who was still lying on the ground, unable to move and in the view of the Cyclonians.

"Radarr, I need you to distract those talons for a minute while I gather some crystals." - she told him.

He nodded and ran out of that wall. He picked a small rock up and threw it at one of the soldiers. That drew the whole troop's attention and they all flew after the little animal. He ran as fast as he could, dodging shots aimed at him. Piper worked quickly, picking up several different crystals from the ground. When Radarr got eventually cornered and it seemed like that was the end for him, the girl was ready to step in the fight.

"Over here!" - she shouted.

All the talons stared at her and saw the crystals in her hands. They immediately charged at her. She smiled confidently. Now those guys would learn a lesson! She jumped in the air and started to float, thanks to a levitation crystal she had with her. She focused a little and released some energy of one of the crystals, creating a strange aura shield in front of her, which deflected all the shots coming in her direction. Now protected, she absorbed a lot more energy from the crystals, shooting a bolt that turned one of the switchblades into dust.

Aerrow watched that surprised. He wished he could get up and help her, but he simply wasn't able to. Piper smiled proudly, but her joy was turned into despair when the rest of the talons got a lot closer to her. She quickly flew away, the enemies chasing her. She turned around and shot a red beam of energy from her hands, exploding three skyrides at once.

There was only one left. The Cyclonian tried to outsmart her and shot at the ceiling right above her. The roof gave in and fell. The Sky Knight and his co-pilot gasped and blinked in horror as they saw the ceiling collapsing on top of Piper. Or so they thought. She suddenly reappeared right behind the talon. She had used one of the crystals to teleport herself away from the danger. Grinning triumphantly, she touched his skyride with her index finger and transformed it into a cloud of butterflies. The Cyclonian fell on the ground and was knocked out.

The boy and the little animal stared at her with wide eyes. Wow! Radarr chirped happily, cheering on her, which caused her to turn around and look at them. She smiled at the little guy, then she flit her eyes towards Aerrow and saw his perplexed expression, which made her shrug sheepishly. She flew towards them and landed right beside them, then she knelt on the ground, checking on the Sky Knight.

"How did you do all that?!" - he asked, clearly mesmerized.

"Uh… I've practiced a little when we were on the Condor 2.0." - she said.

"You were simply amazing… Ah!" - he tried to sit but he winced in pain, his hand holding his side tightly.

"Don't move!" - the girl said alarmed - "We need to get you patched up now." - she pulled out a small green crystal from her pocket and sighed - "I wish I had been able to save my backpack, I'd at least have the healing base for the nil crystal. Using it under normal conditions won't use all of its potential, so I think I won't be able to completely heal you in only one session."

"It's okay. I can recover normally later, don't worry." - he told her - "As long as I get to move a little, that should be enough."

"Okay then. Where does it hurt the most?" - she asked him.

"I think it's on the right side, near my waist. I figured I broke a rib or something." - he said - "And it's probably out of place because if I move I feel something pointy inside of my chest."

"Then we have to act quickly. Your rib could pierce your lungs and you'd bleed out." - she said worriedly.

She was about to touch him when she felt a strange tingling sensation on her fingers and she backed her hand away, almost blushing. She had just realized she'd need to pull his shirt, which would reveal his torso. And she wasn't sure of how to take it from there. Was she shy! Aerrow noticed her hesitant attitude and looked at her with a concerned expression.

"What's wrong?" - he asked.

"Huh? Oh, nothing. I just…" - she blushed a little - "I might need to… Pull your shirt a little. So I can apply the healing directly through your skin."

"Sure, go ahead. Do your stuff, you're the expert here." - he smiled casually.

Piper reached out and pulled his shirt up until right under his arm. His chest was exposed, but he didn't seem to mind, at least, he didn't let anything show up. She concentrated a little, her hand started to glow with a green aura. She touched his torso right where his rib cage was. He felt her skin against his chest. It was so soft. For some reason, he wished he didn't wear gloves all the time so he could have been able to touch her skin more often.

A few healing energy waves came out from her hand, penetrating Aerrow's skin, muscles and reaching his bones. He winced a little bit in pain since he could feel his rib being dragged back to its place. The crystal healed most of the damage, but he'd still need another session or two to be sure his bone was firmly attached.

"Well, I guess this should do for now." - she said as she flashed him a warm smile.

He began to sit up. She was about to pull her hand away when he grabbed her wrist and held it. She blushed at that and looked at him with a slightly confused expression. He just stared at her for a moment, carefully observing every single detail in her face. His grip moved from her wrist to her hand, his fingers intertwining with hers as he rested his palm on the back of her hand.

She felt her heart beating faster and her cheeks growing warm. She had no clue of what was going on in his head at that moment. Did she wish she could read minds! An anxiety was building up inside her. What was he thinking about?! Why did he grab her hand?! Why did he go so quiet out of nowhere?! And why was he looking at her so… So… She melted under his gaze. His eyes were so caring and tender… She felt completely lost in the emerald green.

And little did she know he was experiencing nearly the same things she was. He couldn't release her hand from his. He couldn't take his eyes off her face. He wanted her warmth near him. He wanted to lock his stare with hers. He wanted time to stop so he could look at those sunrise eyes, hold her hand and feel numb for as long as his heart wished. He wanted… Her…

Their moment of connection was interrupted, though, as they heard some steps and saw a bunch of people staring at them. They seemed to be… From there.

"Who are you and why are you here?" - a man spoke - "Outsiders are forbidden."

"I'm sorry. We didn't come here on purpose. Our ship crashed and we barely survived." - Piper explained.

"What are you running away from?" - he asked, guessing from the surroundings that they had been trying to run from something.

"The Cyclonian Empire. And we're not running away." - Aerrow told him - "We need to get to the Sky Knight army as soon as possible. They're waiting for us."

"So you're not one of them." - the man said, then he studied both of them, and his eyes widened for a brief moment in realization - "Very well. We shall assist you in any way we can for you are the ones."

"We are?" - Aerrow and Piper asked in unison, to which the man just nodded.

"You're bound to turn the tides of the war and bring a different future to the Atmos." - he said - "But be careful, for the darkness lurks everywhere, you can't allow yourself to fall."

The boy and the girl exchanged glances. Was that supposed to be some kind of prophecy? And why only two people would be able to make such a huge difference? What could they do that someone else couldn't? They knew they had their special traits, alright, but… Were they really all that? The man gestured towards the other side of the Terra.

"We have a way of getting you to your destination." - he told them - "Come with me."

They followed him, two of the natives helping Aerrow up since he was injured and walking with some difficulty. They all headed to what seemed to be a special kind of dock. There was a really ancient ship in there. It didn't even look remotely similar to any ship they had ever seen before.

"Here. This transportation shall take you to your army right away." - the man bowed as he gestured towards the ship.

Aerrow stared at it unsure. That piece of junk? Was it even reliable? It was rusty, covered in moss and had a few holes on the hull. While the boy seemed not to trust them, Piper had a different opinion. That was an ancient ship and if they claimed it could still fly, that ship was actually amazing! It'd be a relic and a really resilient carrier ship.

"I don't really think we should…" - he began.

"Let's give them a chance. I'm sure they're actually serious about this." - she put a hand on his shoulder and smiled optimistically.

He blinked surprised but ended up accepting the offer, only because she had some good feeling about that. They entered the ship and sat on a row of two seats. The Sky Knight couldn't shake the odd feeling of being on a ship that was nearly falling apart. His thoughts were interrupted when an old man appeared in front of them.

"Greetings. I'll be your carrier pilot today." - he said - "And I'm humbly honored to serve such righteous people like you." - he bowed.

"Uh… Thanks. We... Appreciate your… Help." - Aerrow responded.

The man left and started the ship's engine. They heard a loud noise and felt the ship shaking a lot. The boy stared around apprehensively. Oh, that was going to be a rough take off… He held himself tight on his seat. He could feel his insides becoming tense. He just hoped his injury wouldn't get worse with that.

The ship ran across the dock and soared to the sky, shaking so much it seemed like it was being pulled by some storm. He saw it lose altitude and that made him worried. Oh… My… God… Soon the ship stabilized, though, and he could sit normally as it flew just fine among the clouds.

"For a second I thought we were done for." - he sighed in relief, but then he noticed the ship was moving way too slowly for his liking - "Oh, c'mon, are you kidding me? This is the fastest this ship can fly? I'd rather have taken my chances on my glider."

"Aerrow, calm down. You still need to recover so a little bit extra time will be great for you." - Piper told him.

"What?" - he said urgently - "We need to get to the army quick! We can't afford to let them wait. I should have been there by now!" - he gestured to the skies.

"And what good would you do injured like this?" - she asked him, which made him frown, understanding her point - "Relax, everything will be fine." - she placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him a peck on the cheek to reassure him.

He blinked surprised, his eyes widened. Then he blinked more three times, smiling dumbfounded in realization as he looked away to nowhere specifically: she had… Kissed him… His heart sighed in joy. He then stared tenderly at her from the corner of his eyes, a soft grin forming on his face. He had enjoyed that a little bit too much, but he didn't care. He just wanted to relive that one single moment over and over in his mind.

The ship flew calmly through the skies. It flowed along with the wind, which made the ride a lot more comfortable and soothing. They passed by a group of birds that was flying nearby and watched those beautiful animals surround the ship. They kept going, the sun began to set and the sky turned orange. The two observed the sundown, a really breathtaking view since they were so close to it and no clouds blocked the sunshine.

Aerrow looked at Piper and smiled. She seemed so happy and at peace. He wanted to see her that way always. She was his light, she kept him strong. And at that moment he swore: he'd bring an end to that war, even if it'd cost his life just so she could live happily again. There was nothing more important to him in the world anymore.

The sky started to darken and some stars appeared. The boy and the girl studied a map of the area where the war was currently taking place. They were discussing some battle strategies.

"I think this is a great spot for some flanking maneuvers." - she pointed to a blind spot where the enemy armies were located.

"You're right and we could also bring some extra firepower from above." - he said - "Drawing the troops from there and freeing that area so we can strike the Cyclonian tower directly."

"That sounds like a good plan." - she commented, then she looked at a clock on the wall - "I think we should call it a day. It's pretty late already."

"Wait, wait. I completely forgot about the cannons guarding the tower. We can't just go there." - he said in thought - "Maybe we could… No, no, that wouldn't work."

Piper tiredly looked at him and smiled warmly. He was working hard. He was really going to do his best. She was really proud of him. But he had to rest too, he needed to get his strength back.

"Aerrow, you should get some sleep. You'll need it." - she told him.

"Don't worry, I'm going to sleep soon." - he replied - "You can go ahead first, I'm just tweaking this strategy a little, then I'll rest as well."

"Okay, then. Don't stay up for too long." - she said as she made herself comfy.

She closed her eyes and proceeded to sleep. She somehow sensed Aerrow was way too focused on that one tactic and he'd definitely spend all night trying to figure one single detail out, so she worked on a way to get him to sleep. She rested her head on his shoulder, which made him nearly jump, caught off guard.

"Piper, ah…" - he began.

"Good night, Aerrow." - she said softly, giving him a caring look, then closed her eyes again and no longer moved.

He blinked as he felt her hair tickling his face. He tried to keep his cool and go back to studying the map, but he soon stared at her and sighed, smiling tenderly. He carefully moved his arm so he could place it around her, then pulled her closer, nearly hugging her.

"Good night, Piper." - he whispered as he rested his head on top of hers.

Yeah, guess sleeping wouldn't be a bad idea after all. The ship flew across the starry night sky, several stars shining for them. Radarr came closer to them and lied near their feet, curling up around himself. Ah… He was glad about those two. He hoped things would always be like that. He saw a shooting star and thought of a wish right away: he wished that he and his friends would soon live peacefully, along with the rest of the world.

He closed his eyes, a pleasant smile appeared on his face as he drifted to his sleep, in which he'd dream about some wonderful times that were in store for them.


	8. The Vow

* * *

**Chapter VII**

**The Vow**

A while later, Piper woke up early in the morning. She blinked slowly, adjusting her eyes to the luminosity again. She noticed Aerrow still asleep, his head nearly touching hers. She softly stroke his cheek.

"Aerrow? It's time for another healing session." - she told him.

He blinked tiredly and yawned, stretching his neck and arms.

"Are we there yet?" - he asked.

"No, but we'll be soon, so I have to give you another session before we arrive." - she explained to him.

"Alright." - he said as he moved to his left to give her more room.

She picked the nil crystal up, absorbing some energy from it which made her hand glow. Aerrow actually removed his shirt so she could properly apply the healing aura. She blushed a little but did what she had to do. She touched his chest, emanating the glowing green waves from her hand into his skin. He closed his eyes as he felt his rib solidifying on the rest of the rib cage. That was such a relieving sensation.

"Okay. We're done for now." - she said while she placed the nil crystal back on her pocket.

"Thanks, Piper." - he said as he held her other hand.

"It's the least I can do after you've saved me twice." - she shrugged sheepishly, her cheeks growing rosy.

"I'd save you a thousand times if it was needed." - he said as he smiled at her - "I'm glad that I met you. You… Mean a lot to... Me."

"Aerrow… Thank you, I…" - she said softly, completely in awe with his words.

She couldn't think of what to say. She was pretty much speechless. He had a way of making her heart warm up and beat faster that felt so… Right. She didn't know how to define that, but they had a bond, a connection. They looked at each other, their eyes locked together in a deep stare. They searched each other, trying to guess what the other was thinking, trying to speak with their gazes. The boy moved his free hand by her bangs, pushing them to the side so he could see her better. His hand rested right behind her head, almost as if he were cupping her face. Her hand clenched a little against his chest.

Caught up in the moment, both squinted their eyes a little and leaned in slowly. Their eyelids were shut as they moved their heads closer. Their lips puckered slightly while their faces were positioned in front of each other, inches away. They could feel each other's breath. Radarr suddenly woke up and looked upwards at just the right moment. Oh my! C'mon! Just a little closer! He cheered in his mind.

But when their lips were about to touch, the old man that piloted the ship walked in, the sound of his steps and the door opening startling them. They immediately backed away from each other and tried to look casual. Boy, was that awkward…

"We're about to arrive at your destination." - he told them, unaware that he had interrupted something.

"Oh… Thank you." - Piper said - "It was an honor to fly with you, sir."

"You are too kind." - he chuckled a little.

The man bowed down and left. The two younger ones exchanged glances.

"Well, guess we should get ready." - the Sky Knight said as he stood up, then he offered his hand to her so he could pull her up.

She nodded while she gratefully accepted his help. They walked towards the bridge, to meet with their pilot again.

"Ah, here we are." - the man said.

The other two looked through the window. They saw a Terra getting closer, and then they could see a really huge group of people waiting for their arrival: it was the Sky Knight army.

"Wow! That's a really large army. I've never seen so many Sky Knights gathered together in the same place!" - Piper said in awe.

"And they're all under the lead of my father. I wonder why I haven't seen him among them yet, though." - Aerrow said in thought - "Guess he must be on that big tent over there, planning his next strategy. I can't wait to bring him the new tactics we've figured out last night." - he nudged her.

The ship landed on an improvised dock. A few Sky Knights stood there to greet the trio: a purple haired and green-eyed woman, a blonde and blue-eyed man wearing golden armor, a yellow-eyed and pink furred coyote looking woman, a yellow-eyed and blue-skinned fish looking man and a golden-eyed and haired man.

"At last you've arrived. Welcome, Aerrow, we were waiting for you." - the purple haired woman said.

"Yeah, thanks. Sorry if we're a little late." - the boy said to her - "Guys, this is Piper. She's a Crystal Mage I've met a few days ago. She'll be a great asset to the team." - he gestured to her, and the Sky Knights smiled widely at her - "And these are Starling, Harrier, Suzy Lu, Tritonn and Carver."

"I'm honored to meet you all." - Piper said politely.

The five Sky Knights greeted her back warmly, each one saying something different, but along the lines of "it's great to have you here" and "welcome, make yourself at home".

"So you're a Crystal Mage, eh?" - Suzy Lu said with interest - "I'm glad you're on our side, we really needed one here."

"I hope I'll be of assistance." - the girl said humbly.

"Of course you will. You'll be our secret weapon." - Carver said jokingly.

Piper laughed nervously at that.

"Knock it off, Carver." - Starling scolded him - "Don't mind him, he's just messing with you." - she assured her.

"We'll work on finding a good place for you, don't worry, you'll have plenty of chances to do your part in this battle." - Harrier said.

"Yeah. I've been talking about some tactics with Piper. We came up with some really good plans." - the boy told them.

"Then I think you'll be great in the front lines, to coordinate some squadrons." - Tritonn suggested.

Aerrow was about to agree when he thought about the idea of being in the front lines and how dangerous it was. He didn't want to put Piper in danger. Ever.

"Uh… Yeah, maybe, we'll have to discuss that with my father." - he said - "Where's he, by the way? And what about the rest of the squadron?" - he looked around as all the five Sky Knights went silent and frowned - "What?"

They stared at him wide-eyed, then exchanged glances. He didn't know yet. Starling approached him.

"Aerrow…" - she began - "Your father has been betrayed. He and the others… They've died during the last battle."

Piper gasped and looked at him worried.

"What?! Are you saying he… He was… Murdered?!" - the boy shouted - "Who did that?! Who betrayed my father?!" - he demanded an answer.

"His closest friend, the co-pilot. The one you used to consider an uncle to you." - Harrier told him.

"No way, that's ridiculous! He'd never…" - he retorted.

"He took your father's sword and attacked his back in cold blood." - Carver retold the facts as they happened - "Lightning didn't even get the chance to retaliate."

"No… That's impossible!" - he placed his hand on his forehead in disbelief.

"No one expected that. It was so sudden." - Suzy Lu said - "We couldn't do anything to prevent it. We were all just as shocked as you are."

"It can't be…" - he said in denial.

"Aerrow, we were so terrified when that happened, that we no longer refer to him by his name." - Starling explained - "We're now calling him: the Dark Ace."

Aerrow's eyes widened. The Dark Ace… He was up in the Master's sleeve all along. He was her contingency plan ever since the beginning.

"We retreated after that. Since then, we've been waiting for you so you could lead us in the rest of the war. You're his rightful heir, so you are our new leader." - Tritonn told him - "I'm… Really sorry, boy."

The young Sky Knight couldn't believe that news. His father, the greatest of all Sky Knight, the best warrior in the world, was dead. He had been murdered by none other than his best friend, a traitor. The Dark Ace took out every single one of the Storm Hawks, his teammates, his family. He had no mercy, no compassion.

"Aerrow… I…" - Piper tried to think of something to say.

But he was way too disturbed by what he had just learned to even notice she was saying anything at all. That man… To whom he had called his uncle, to whom his father called a brother, to whom the squadron called a family member… A co-pilot they had placed their trust in… A friend that claimed he'd always be there for the team. Someone who worked so hard and helped them so many times… All along… He was a traitor… A cold-blooded murderer who sold himself in the blink of an eye without giving it a second thought. He… He… He… He had to pay…

The boy felt his blood boiling, an enraged feeling building up inside of him. He clenched his fists as he stared at the ground. That man would pay… He'd bring him to justice. He looked straight into the other Sky Knights' eyes with a determined gaze.

"I'll lead the army. I'll avenge my father's death." - he said seriously - "Let's end this war once and for all."

Piper reached out a hand to place it on his shoulder, but he walked away before she could even touch him. He headed for the main tent where his father would have been waiting for him. She watched him go with a concerned expression as the others, except Suzy Lu, followed him. That wasn't the Aerrow she knew… His heart was so filled with anger. He wanted revenge, not justice. That wasn't a good sign. If he continued that way, he'd only find his own demise. And she couldn't bear to see him do that to himself.

"Piper, we should get you prepared." - the female Sky Knight said - "We have some resources: weapons, armors, crystals. Anything you need will be at your disposal."

"Thanks, Suzy Lu." - she said as she followed her to a special training area that had been set up on the Terra.

She knew she wouldn't be able to talk to Aerrow for a while. But she had to let him know that she was there for him somehow. It was then that she saw a sign saying something about a kind of training tournament. It was a demonstration of sky fu skills and everyone could joy. It was supposed to stimulate the people participating in the army.

"What are you looking at there?" - the coyote-like woman approached her - "Oh, the Sky Fu tournament, eh? You wanna sign in?"

The girl thought for a moment. If she couldn't use words, she'd show her support to Aerrow another way.

"Yes. Yes, I'd like to join that tournament." - she said determinedly.

"Alrighty. Then let's get you started." - Suzy Lu put a hand behind her back and guided her to the stands and the training ground.

* * *

 

A few hours had passed. Aerrow had spent the whole morning thinking about the several ways he'd kill the man who had murdered his father. He wanted his head on a silver plate. The tent was starting to feel too… Strange, like the atmosphere had gotten thick all of a sudden. So he decided to get out of there for some fresh air. The moment he stepped outside, he saw a crowd gathered on the training ground, which was nearby.

He wondered what was going on, and went to check it out. He walked closer to the small fence that marked the limits of the arena and stood there. He looked around at all the spectators and followed the general direction of their stares. That led him to place his eyes on two platforms in the middle of the arena. In one of them, he saw Piper, while in the other one he saw one of the members of the Rex Guardians, Harrier's squadron.

"Now our two candidates will compete in the final of the Sky Fu tournament." - a judge announced - "Whoever demonstrates the technique perfectly will be the winner." - he explained - "Begin!"

A signal was given and Piper and the Rex Guardian proceeded to do some fighting moves. The two moved in the same rhythm, there was a perfect timing between them. Aerrow watched that, his eyes widened. Piper was there, working hard to help him… And all he could think about was his vengeance… How could he have been so selfish… She was giving it her all, and he hadn't shown her appreciation, at least, not enough.

He clenched his fist. She had made him come to his senses and realize what was really important. She had given him hope again. He now understood what his father really expected of him: to fight for the ones he loved, to protect them and to let go of the grieving rage.

After a few more moves, the two girls faced each other, then charged, using each other's feet to walk upwards and soar a few meters off the ground, then they pushed each other, backflipping to their original positions. Piper had managed to land more perfectly centralized in the marked circle than the Rex Guardian member.

"It was really close, but Piper finished more accurately, thus making her victorious!" - the judge shouted excitedly.

Everyone cheered as the girls shook hands, commending each other on the good work. Piper smiled happily until she noticed Aerrow and realized he had watched her performance. He was applauding her, a proud grin on his face. His eyes didn't have the anger from before. They were calm and filled with hope. She beamed at him as he walked towards her.

"You were great there, Piper. I'm glad you won." - he congratulated her.

She was about to say she was grateful for the compliment when the judged handed her the trophy for her victory. She humbly accepted it and looked at Aerrow again.

"I feel so happy right now. Not because of the win, but because I feel more optimist." - she told him, to which he smiled.

He grabbed one of her hands and placed a kiss on it, causing her to blush and her eyes to tear up a little, full of emotion.

"Thank you, Piper, for bringing me back to the right path." - he said with all the sincerity of the world.

She couldn't hold her happiness. She threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. And he tenderly hugged her back. He enjoyed that embrace like it was the last time he'd ever be able to do that. He'd not let the darkness drag him down. He'd stand up with his head high and do the right thing. He made a vow, and he'd go through with it. For her. All was for her.


	9. A Glimpse of the Future

* * *

**Chapter VIII**

**A Glimpse of the Future**

A little while had passed since Piper won the tournament. She thought about Aerrow and all the responsibility that had been passed onto him. He had to deal with a lot of things: plan the battle tactics, train the Sky Knights, lead a huge army and, on top of all that, mourn his father's death. It was way too much for a normal person to handle. But Aerrow wasn't a normal person. He was so strong and had so much willpower. He was definitely the most resilient person she had ever met.

However, even the strongest people in the world can suffer. He had a heart and he had feelings, just like anyone else. He was holding on pretty fine, but more support was never a bad thing. The girl sat by the edge of the Terra. She had her eyes closed as she concentrated. A blue aura enveloped her and some green crystals floated around her. She had figured out a new special ability. It could make her harness power from crystals and imbue them into a host. It was a secret technique from the depths of the most powerful skills of a Crystal Mage, called the Binding.

She attempted to master it, without any instructions, but she'd try. She wanted to help Aerrow at all costs, so she'd go out of her way to dominate her new ability and be useful to him. She focused a little more, trying to control the crystals and attune with them, but the harder she tried, it seemed like she was getting farther away from progressing. She got to the point her concentration broke, causing the crystals to fall beside her. She sighed. That was a lot more complicated than she had thought… But then she stared at the sky. Well, she had to keep trying. Aerrow was counting on her.

* * *

 

Later that day, Piper went to see Aerrow in the hangar of the original Condor, who was finishing loading a few things on a skimmer he had just claimed for himself so he would be ready for battle. He placed a crate on top of the seat from where he pulled out some tools he was using to tweak the skyride a little. He heard her steps and looked behind him.

"Hey, Piper. I didn't see you there." - he greeted her.

"Hi, Aerrow." - she said shyly.

"So, how's your Crystal Mastery training going?" - he asked as he used a wrench to tighten a screw on the side of the skimmer.

"It's going well. I just learned something new, but I still have to practice a little more." - she told him.

"Ah, that's great. I can't wait to see what you've learned." - he smiled.

"I, hm… I wanted to know if you're too busy right now." - she said - "I have to ask you something."

"I was just adjusting a few things on my skimmer." - he said to her as he tightened one more screw - "There. Finished. What do you need me for?" - he tossed the wrench back on the crate.

"I'm going to test my new abilities with you." - she explained - "They're a new power I've developed that can really help you in battle."

"Really? Sure. Let's do it." - he said as he followed her to the landing strip.

The two sat there, one in front of the other. The girl placed a few green crystals on the floor between them. She meditated a little, a green aura surrounding her.

" _Titan's Might!_ " - she conjured the spell.

A green beam of light came from her towards Aerrow, enveloping him in the green aura as well. He felt a lot of energy running in his veins.

"Wow, what is this?" - he asked quite impressed and excited.

"This spell makes you physically stronger. Try it out." - she told him.

He walked towards the hangar where several heavy crates were piled up. He picked them all up easily.

"Woah! Hey, that's amazing!" - he commented as he placed the crated back on the floor - "What else have you got?"

She focused a little more, a red aura appearing around her.

" _Speed of Light!_ " - she shouted.

From the name of the spell, Aerrow guessed he'd obviously become faster. He took a few steps and suddenly disappeared. Then, in the blink of an eye, he appeared right behind Piper, nearly startling her.

"Oh! Sorry. I didn't realize I was going to be that fast." - he told her.

"It's okay." - she said - "I also have one more spell I'm sure you're going to like." - she then focused a little more, a blue aura consuming the red one - " _Falcon's Flight!_ "

Aerrow was enveloped again in the blue aura and shot up towards the sky. He was flying! And without wings, a glider or a skyride. He was flying for real! He cheered as he did some loops in the air.

"Alright!" - he shouted as he spun around himself.

Piper giggled as she watched him fly. But suddenly she felt a terrible headache and placed her hands on the sides of her forehead. Aerrow soon landed near her.

"This was awesome, Piper!" - he said happily, but then he noticed there was something wrong with her - "Piper, are you okay?" - he walked towards her.

All of a sudden her eyes shot open, glowing in a purple light. The light faded as her eyes rolled upwards and she fell backward. Aerrow rushed to her and caught her before she could hit the ground.

"Piper?! What's wrong?" - he asked alarmed.

She weakly looked at him once more before she drifted into unconsciousness. Then her chest shot up and her eyes shone again. She shook her arms uncontrollably. The Sky Knight held her tightly so she'd not hurt herself by accident. He grabbed one of her hands and stroked it in the hope that it'd bring her some kind of comfort.

During that split second, Piper saw several images flashing in her mind, and from all of that mess she managed to see an event: Aerrow facing a wallop in a sky duel, the wallop destroying Aerrow's skimmer, Aerrow falling with his skyride, and the wallop's spear being thrown at him, aimed for his heart.

The girl gasped and bent her back forward, waking up startled. She was still in Aerrow's arms. He looked at her worried and leaned closer so she'd look at him.

"Piper, what happened?!" - he asked with concern in his voice.

She breathed hastily then placed a hand on his chest urgently.

"Aerrow… I saw a vision!" - she said.

"Wait, you mean, from the future?" - he questioned.

"Yes. It was a vision from the upcoming battle." - she explained worriedly - "Aerrow, you're in grave danger. I saw you were going to die at the hands of a wallop!" - she told him.

He blinked surprised. He was going to die?! But he couldn't! That couldn't be! After everything he had done, all the time he spent preparing for this moment… It simply couldn't end like that for him. It… Wasn't fair…

"A-are you sure about this?" - he asked again.

"Aerrow, I… I'm aware I can't prevent you from going to the front lines. I know you have to lead us all, but…" - she said to him - "Please, be careful. Don't overextend. And don't risk your life."

"Uh, well, I…" - he began.

That was a strange request, how could he…?

"Please, Aerrow. Do it for me." - she pleaded.

He stared at her for a brief instant. Ah, the things he swore he'd do for her…

"Okay, Piper. I promise you I'll watch out." - he said - "For you." - he lifted her hand a little to emphasize his promise was for her - "But, just in case, let's go easy with this new power of yours. I don't want anything bad to happen to you."

She smiled sadly as she rested her head on his shoulder. He held her and stroked her hair in an attempt to calm her down. He couldn't let her down. He couldn't ever leave her like that. He had always said he'd be there for her. So he'd keep that promise, no matter what.

"Hey, you know what? Why don't we go for a quick ride?" - he suddenly said to her - "Just the two of us."

"Wait, you mean… Right now?" - she asked.

"Yeah. We should free our minds from all this worry so we can focus better." - he told her as he stood up and pulled her up.

"Uh… I guess you're right." - she observed as he went towards his skimmer - "I should go find a skyride for me, then."

"Huh? No… Ah… I…" - he stuttered a little - "I was wondering if you'd ride with me this time."

She blushed at his invitation. Ride with him? She had so been wishing to do that for quite a while! And then he simply invited her! She pinched herself in her mind to be sure she wasn't just a dream. Nope, it wasn't a dream, that was very real!

"Yes!" - she shouted a little bit too excitedly, then she quickly watched her gestures - "I-I mean… I'd love to ride with you." - she smiled sheepishly.

The two climbed on his skimmer, Aerrow making Piper sit in front of him. His arms went around her so he could grab the handles of the skimmer. It felt almost like he was hugging her from behind, and that made her blush even more. She didn't really know what his actual intentions were, but that situation felt like they were… Like they were going on some kind of… Date.

The boy started the skimmer and they shot forward in the landing strip. The skyride soon took off and flew among the clouds.

"You okay there?" - he checked on her.

"Yeah. I just wanted to know why did you tell me to sit in the pilot seat?" - she asked him.

"This is so I can see if you're enjoying the ride." - he explained - "You once told me you wanted to see a few of my tricks, right?"

"Well, yes, I did." - she confirmed.

"Then now you'll be able to." - he said.

He accelerated the skimmer, which made Piper bump into him from the sudden push forward. They flew fast towards a small piece of land that was near the Terra. That land was a camp filled with many flowers. Aerrow approached the area, slowing down a little, then suddenly turned the skimmer upside down. They passed right above the camp, causing many butterflies to fly away. They were so close to the ground Piper could actually touch the flowers if she reached her hand out a little.

"Wow, you fly so beautifully, Aerrow." - she commented.

The boy then made the skimmer fly up, spinning around towards the sun. They went so high they were above the level of all the clouds. A feeling of tranquility washed over them. There was pretty much nothing in the sky, only a huge line of clouds below them marking the horizon and the sun shining above them. That emptiness around them made them feel like they were in their own little world, where only the two of them mattered, nothing else.

Soon, Aerrow made the skimmer nose dive fast. Piper watched as they passed through the clouds and headed straight to a small lake without slowing down. She felt the urge to cover her eyes from the sudden fright, but just as she touched her face, the Sky Knight grabbed her hands into his and dragged them towards the handles of the skimmer.

"Don't close your eyes. Didn't I just say I don't want anything bad to happen to you?" - he said softly in her ear, causing her to blush - "Don't worry, there's nothing to fear."

Still holding her hands, Aerrow pulled the handles, making the skimmer fly right above the water surface. Thanks to the wind, some water droplets flew around, sparkling in the sunlight. They flew around the lake then headed back to the Sky Knight base. When they were almost getting there, Piper turned to Aerrow.

"Thank you, Aerrow. You know how to make a girl feel safe." - she said shyly, which made him blink - "I'm also glad you believed in me when I told you about my vision. One would just shrug it off and think I'm seeing things."

"Of course I'd believe you, Piper. You know I trust you." - he assured her - "Never doubt that just like I've never doubted you. Not even once."

She smiled warmly at him. He could soothe her mind so easily. That was one of the many things she loved about him. Loved… She thought about that for a moment and she realized that her feelings for him had become stronger with every passing day. Right at that instant, she could really say that she didn't just have a crush on him, she was actually in love with him. As in, true love. Thinking of it that way made it seem so childish and a fantasy thing. But that was the reality. Maybe some things that everyone thinks are only in the imagination actually existed.

They finally reached the Condor and landed there. Piper thanked him again for the ride and left him to his duties. He sighed sadly. He was actually worried about that vision of hers. Was he really going to die? Because, if that was a vision of his destiny, then there was no way he could avoid it. And… There was something he needed to do before that could happen… He had to tell her how he felt. But that wasn't the right time. They were in the middle of a war. Telling her that right then and there would just mess with her head. And he couldn't afford that. So he'd have to wait, and pray that he'd still be alive to tell her another time.

* * *

 

The moment of the battle was about to arrive. Aerrow was discussing the last details of their tactics with the Sky Knights inside the main tent. He pointed at a map and made some gestures.

"Just revising, the Red Eagles and I will be on the front lines. The Rebel Ducks will cover the flanking group, the Third Degree Burners. The Neck Deeps will guard our backs. The Screaming Queens will provide ranged support. The Buff Buzzards will be our second defensive group. The Absolute Zeroes will provide roaming support. The Rex Guardians will stick near Piper to protect her while she'll provide support with her Crystal Mastery." - he listed everyone's duties - "I want the protection around her reinforced, so Starling will give the Rex Guardians extra support. Is that clear?"

Everyone nodded, agreeing with his instructions.

"What will she be doing in the battle, though?" - Harrier asked - "We'll guard her, but we can't get on her way."

"You'll see. She's amazing. Our most important asset in this war." - the boy told him - "Don't let anything happen to her."

"Understood. We'll use the special armor formation we have been working on recently." - the leader of the Rex Guardians said - "That's the most effective defensive formation."

"Good. Any more questions?" - Aerrow asked everyone, but they all gestured that they didn't have any doubts - "Alright. Dismissed, everyone. Let's do the final preparations and go to battle!"

All of them left the main tent. Piper and Radarr walked in as Aerrow was checking out some maps.

"How was the meeting?" - she asked as the little animal walked closer to his buddy.

"Everyone's fully aware of what they have to do. I think we'll all be fine." - he said optimistically.

"Hm… Is there anything I should do?" - she looked around - "How can I help in the battle?"

"Well, I thought you should be in the support group." - he told her - "You'd be a little bit behind in the formation, we can't have you exposed. I instructed one of the squadrons to protect you at all costs. And also…" - he placed a hand on his little friend's shoulder - "Radarr will be your co-pilot."

The little guy blinked surprised, then smiled at Aerrow. He saluted him as if he were saying "you can count on me!". Did he feel honored to assist Piper! He'd be able to watch her using her skills from so close! And Piper was awesome! He was eager to be her co-pilot.

"But, Aerrow, what about you? You've always flown with a co-pilot. Are you sure you won't need help?" - she asked unsurely.

"I'll be okay. I'm not going to be the only one in the front lines. The Red Eagles will cover me." - he reassured her - "Our tactic is to begin with a more defensive formation and each group will progress according to how the battle goes. They all already know what to do. Plus, I managed to the help of one of the enemy groups."

"What? How?" - she was surprised.

"The Raptors were being pushed around by the Master. Their leader, Repton, was really mad at that, so I attempted to contact him offering him to change to our side." - he explained - "And he actually accepted the offer. He wanted to get back at the Cyclonians for not fulfilling their part in their treaty."

"But… Will they really change sides?" - Piper asked - "They could lie to us as well, you know."

"Yes, and I've got that covered too. If they don't change sides, the Absolute Zeroes are assigned to deal with them. And you know how the Raptors can't stand the cold." - he smiled mischievously.

She giggled.

"That's actually a pretty smart plan." - she complimented him - "Do you feel ready?"

He went silent for a moment. He thought about her question. Feeling ready… Is it even possible to feel ready for something like that? One can never be too prepared in that kind of situation. But there was another thing: being ready didn't necessarily have to do with not doubting. If he had no doubts about what should be done, then that was enough. And he had all the determination and focus he could possibly find in himself.

"Yeah, I do." - he told her - "What about you?"

"As ready as I could ever be." - she said.

They suddenly heard the sound of a horn: the Condor's horn. It was announcing the upcoming battle.

"It's time…" - Aerrow said seriously.

The war was continuing. The new battle had begun.


	10. Unforeseen Cataclysm

* * *

**Chapter IX**

**Unforeseen Cataclysm**

The Cyclonian army waited on the main battlefield. There were hundreds of switchblades and heliblades, and dozens of ships ready to attack. Not long later the Sky Knight army arrived. Several skimmers and carrier ships flew towards the enemy army. The Cyclonian leader on the field gave the order to attack. The talons charged at the Sky Knights. Aerrow waited until they got closer, his eyes squinting in anger.

"Fire!" - he yelled as he pointed forward with his sword.

All the ship shot at the Cyclonians, taking a few skyrides down. The enemy army retaliated by shooting back. They had superior armor and weapons, so the Sky Knight ships had to rely on dodging and flanking maneuvers. Suzy Lu and her squadron provided the roaming support by randomly flying around and hunting down Cyclonians that tried to give chase to their allies.

The Screaming Queens shot volleys non stop. Rains of arrows fell down upon the enemy soldiers, severely damaging their rides, giving more opening to the main attacking group: Aerrow and the Red Eagles. The boy used some maneuvers never seen before. He turned the auto-pilot on as he pulled out a sword and walked to the edge of one of his skimmer's wings. The skyride spun around crazily, taking out any Cyclonians on its path.

While that, the Third Degree Burners and Rebel Ducks helped them out by doing some surprise attacks on the talons. And at the same time, the Raptors decided to show their betrayal by doubling the score the Sky Knight squadrons had just gotten. Radarr saw that and cheered. Yes! They had gotten new allies!

Piper supported everyone by using her crystals in order to boost their rides. She'd focus and spread waves of energy that only worked on the Sky Knights' rides. They'd fix their rides of minor damage, increase their speed and firepower and generate a temporary force field around them that deflected the standard blasts from the talons. That special buff was refreshed every single time the rides came in contact with the energy pulses released by Piper, so everyone was flying close to her every now and then.

That started to draw more attention to her. The talons noticed she was the source of their strength, so they proceeded to direct their attacks at her. Realizing that, the Buff Buzzards, the Neck Deeps and the Rex Guardians increased the protection around her. They made a defense that was nearly rock solid. That limited their movements, though, since they had to focus on protecting Piper, which made them more vulnerable to the attacks of the enemy ships.

One shot came and destroyed three ally skyrides at once. The girl saw that and used a levitation crystal to drag the victims safely to a carrier ship. She concluded she'd not be able to focus only on support. She had to go to the offensive as well. Another shot from an enemy ship passed near her and Radarr, missing them by a few inches. Angered by that, she concentrated a little, making ten firebolt crystals and an enhancement crystal she had brought with her spin around her very fast.

"Everyone, move out of the way!" - she warned the groups that surrounded her protectively.

They saw her absorbing the energy of those crystals and focusing it on a point in front of her. They quickly flew away from the area as she shot out a huge beam of concentrated energy that pierced the armor of the enemy ship as if it were made of paper and easily blew it up. Radarr watched speechlessly. So much power! Woah!

"That should teach them not to shoot at a girl!" - she said triumphantly.

But not one second after she said that, more shots came towards her, which made Radarr pull on her, causing the ride to dodge the blasts. The talons were using some kind of special piercing ammo that bypassed her force field. They shot some more at them. The little animal jumped in front of Piper and used a wrench to parry all the bolts of energy, sending some back at the enemies, blasting their rides away in the process.

"That was incredible, Radarr!" - she said as she pulled the co-pilot into a hug and placed a kiss on the top of his head - "You're just as good as Aerrow! No wonder you've been his co-pilot for so long!"

Radarr blinked surprised then melted into the hug. Aww… If she wasn't Aerrow's already, he'd have been in love as well! He now truly knew why his buddy was so attached to her. She was such an amazing girl. She was smart, sweet, loyal, beautiful, a skilled fighter and she really cared about them. She was definitely the one Aerrow was unconsciously looking for. The little guy swore at that moment that he'd protect her with his life, for both her and his best friend.

More Cyclonians appeared. They simply flew through the defenses, trying to reach the two of them. Piper flew away in an attempt to avoid them, but they were in hot pursuit. She tried several kinds of evasive maneuvers, spinning her skyride in the air. She was lucky she had managed to find another heliscooter for her. Radarr held tightly onto his cockpit, using his rear paws, then he proceeded to look for stuff inside its storage compartment he could throw at the talons. He began tossing some banana peels, bolts, screws and gears, a hammer, a screwdriver, some eggs, rocks and branches, even chickens! Piper was actually impressed by how all that stuff fit in there.

Radarr looked at her, grinning and giving her a thumbs up, but then his smiled faded as he pointed ahead of them. The girl looked at where he was pointing at and screamed. They were going towards one of the enemy carrier ships! A big cannon that was very close by aimed at them. They'd not have enough time to dodge! The girl quickly picked up two crystals and rammed them against each other as the Cyclonian ship shot at them.

The crystals generated an energy barrier right in front of them. The blast hit the barrier and was sent back at the cannon, destroying it. The co-pilot blinked impressed. Wow! A reflective shield! She never ceased to surprise him! He just knew Aerrow would be in good hands with her. They just had to go for it! His joy, however, was interrupted by more talons trying to charge at them.

"Will they ever leave us alone?!" - Piper shouted as she flew away again.

That endless chase was starting to get really annoying. She knew she couldn't bother the others to help her out, they were already fighting for themselves, but she really would have liked some sort of assistance. And just as she thought about that, her knight in shining armor came to her rescue. Aerrow dashed with his skimmer, knocking some talons off their rides with its wings.

He attempted to flank another couple of Cyclonians chasing Piper but they saw him and proceeded to go after him. He flew to the opposite side and met with two more Cyclonians trying to shoot at him. He flew straight at them, betting who'd blink first. But to his surprise, they made a special formation with their switchblades that'd lock his skimmer in theirs if he got closer. He stared angrily at them but didn't give up. He accelerated even more and spun his skimmer in the air, then closed its wings. He passed right in the middle of the hole between the switchblades' wings. The two talons watched him, and in their distraction, they didn't notice the couple of Cyclonians chasing Aerrow heading their way. The four crashed into each other, all of them parachuting so they'd not fall.

After that, the boy flew towards Piper who still had a few more pursuers. He passed in front of the whole group, drawing their attention. Their focus shifted from the girl to him as he dragged them away from her. He flew upwards, the talons following him in a cyclonic formation. Aerrow took that opportunity: he turned the auto-pilot on then jumped off his skimmer with his blades in hand. He spun in the air, hitting all the enemy skyrides in his path and destroying them all. Once he passed by all of them he backflipped and landed on his skimmer that had flown after him on auto-pilot.

Piper and Radarr were watching all that with wide eyes. The little animal gave his buddy two thumbs up, chirping happily. The Crystal Mage clenched her hands in front of her heart, staring proudly and relieved at him. He was her hero alright. Aerrow smiled at his friends. But then something grim happened: a wallop suddenly appeared and charged at the Sky Knight really fast. The girl gasped as she saw that.

"Aerrow! Look out! Behind you!" - she shouted while she reached an arm out for him.

He blinked and looked behind him only to see a spear colliding with his skyride. The ride smoked a lot and fell uncontrollably. The wallop flew around him and threw his spear at him. The boy froze. That was it…

Or so he thought. Piper decided to defy destiny. She focused a little as she held a green crystal in her hand. An orange aura appeared around her, then she shot out a beam of light towards Aerrow.

" _Star's Fury!_ " - she summoned the spell.

The beam hit Aerrow and he was enveloped in the aura. He felt the power flowing in his veins once more. He studied himself then he stared at the spear frozen right in front of his face. Woah! He unleashed a spherical shockwave from his body, which completely disintegrated the spear and the wallop's skyride, causing the later to fall from the skies.

"Wow…" - Aerrow said in awe - "Amazing…"

The girl flew near him, she was in pain for some reason. Radarr chirped alarmed at that and the boy noticed it.

"Piper! What's wrong?" - he asked.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me!" - she said to him, then she turned to the co-pilot - "It's okay, Radarr. I'll get better soon, it's nothing serious." - she tried to hold back her pain as much as she could.

She didn't know why she suddenly felt weak. It was like something was draining her energy away and fast. She stared at the green crystal in her hand. Maybe… Well, she didn't have time to speculate anything. She had to help the others that still battled with all they've got. She could figure out what was going on later. The orange aura faded away from her as Radarr managed to grab Aerrow's hand, then they flew towards the Condor, which was being piloted by Starling.

* * *

 

A while had passed and the battle was in the favor of the Sky Knights. They managed to defeat the whole Cyclonian army. Everyone took that brief pause to gather around and fix the damage they took in that fight so they could be prepared for the next battle. Aerrow studied the sky from the balcony in the Condor along with Starling, Harrier, Carver, Suzy Lu, and Tritonn. Piper approached them slowly, Radarr following her with a worried expression. She had her head low and a hand in front of her mouth. She had been coughing a little, but she was trying to hide it from them.

"Ah, there you are. Our Crystal Mage." - Suzy Lu greeted her - "You were a natural there."

"Didn't I say she'd be our secret weapon?" - Carver teased, but he did that more lightly that time.

"You were indeed really helpful in the battle." - Harrier commented - "I've never seen someone single-handedly take down a reinforced Cyclonian battlecruiser like that."

"Thank you, guys." - the girl replied gratefully.

"I think you should rest a little." - Tritonn said - "You look tired. That battle must have worn you out."

"It's okay. I'm fine. I'm just a little worried." - she looked away - "I think there's something wrong… This was too easy."

"Yes… A little way too easy for it to be a good sign." - Starling agreed.

"Because it's not over yet. We still have to finish the job." - Aerrow said solemnly as he walked forward - "Attention everyone! This was just one battle we have won! Now we'll have to end this war once and for all!" - he shouted and everybody cheered, inspired by his words - "It's time to take Cyclonia down for good! Let's fly!"

After that speech, everyone prepared to take off to Cyclonia. The Sky Knights and Radarr left the balcony to go do some preparations as well. Aerrow stayed there, observing every single person under his lead. Piper stared at him in worry.

"Aerrow?" - she began, causing him to look at her with a raised eyebrow - "Are you sure we should be going there like this? Shooting in the dark?"

"There's no reason to wait anymore." - he told her - "Every second we waste in here is one more second for the Cyclonians to plan a counter attack. The sooner we hit them in their core, the better."

She knew there was more to that, though. There could only be one thing that would make him feel such a haste to go to battle.

"You know who'll find there, right?" - she said, which made him glance at the ground - "Aerrow… Please don't try to do that…" - she put a hand on his face to make him look at her again - "Don't forget your promise."

He stared deeply into her pleading eyes. He had made a vow to her… He couldn't back out…

"I haven't forgotten it, Piper." - he said to her - "And I won't forget it. When I make a promise I keep it. Remember?"

Yes, she definitely remembered. He had promised her quite a few things already, and every single time he had gone through impossible odds just to keep them. He wasn't going to change the way he did everything. He'd continue being loyal like always.

"I do…" - she replied to him - "Thank you…"

She left the balcony as well. She went to ready herself for the next battle. Aerrow sighed as he watched her go. He could only hope he'd not become consumed by his hatred towards the traitor. He hoped that he'd not lose his mind when he got to see that man face to face.

* * *

 

Soon all the skyrides and ships invaded the Cyclonian territory. They headed straight to the main Terra. They tried to locate it, but they couldn't. They passed by the exact point where the Terra should have been but didn't see it there.

"What's going on here?" - Harrier asked frustrated - "The Terra couldn't have just vanished into thin air."

"No… It didn't…" - Tritonn said - "It's even worse than that!" - he pointed at a direction.

Everyone followed his gaze and saw something terrifying: the Terra was flying! It was actually detached from the ground and was flying around like a gigantic ship. Thousands of Night Crawlers came out of the tower and swarmed the red thundery sky. Among them was none other than the betrayer, the Dark Ace. Aerrow set his eyes on him and couldn't believe what he saw: his… Uncle… His eyes were no longer the familiar blue, they were crimson red. He had gotten rid of the Storm Hawks uniform and now wore the Cyclonian armor. And the worst detail of all: he was using Lightning Strike's sword.

The young Sky Knight couldn't hold back anymore. He charged at the man with all his might. He sent a few shockwaves in front of him to try to overwhelm the Talon Commander, but he managed to dodge them at the last second. The man was actually surprised, he didn't think the boy was that strong at such an early age. He flew away with Aerrow chasing him. He ignored everyone and went straight after the man. He wanted to strike him down from the skies forever. He kept that way until he heard Piper shouting.

"Aerrow!" - she called for him - "We need help! We're way too outnumbered!"

He looked around and finally realized there were about thirty or forty Night Crawlers for every one person in his army. They were too many! And not only that, they were far stronger than the talons. They couldn't stay there, they had to run away!

"Fall back!" - he yelled - "Fall back now!"


	11. The Light in the Dark

* * *

**Chapter X**

**The Light in the Dark**

All the Sky Knights flew away from the battle. The Night Crawlers chased them determined to capture as many people as they could. Aerrow noticed that and decided to do something about it.

"You guys keep going!" - he shouted - "I'll try to stall them for a while."

"What?! No, Aerrow!" - Piper said to him - "That's insane, you can't take them all on at once!"

"It's my responsibility for bringing all of you here without thinking things through first." - he told her - "Now keep falling back and don't try to prevent me from going there!"

The girl watched as he flew towards a group of Night Crawlers and dragged them away from the area. He was a really good pilot, but how long would he last all alone against thousands of enemies? She thought for a moment and came to the conclusion that she should help take the others to safety then come back to assist Aerrow.

She used a velocity crystal to generate several pulses that sped up the allied skyrides. She then absorbed the power of another crystal to create a huge force field she'd utilize as a filter: the friendly rides could pass through, while the enemy ones were pushed back and electrocuted when coming in contact with the shield. She placed several fuel crystals all around the force field to keep it up without her having to focus all the time. That way she could make herself available to help the others.

She flew past the shield, towards the Cyclonian side so she could keep the Night Crawlers away from it. Some of them tried to charge at her but Radarr leaped in front of her protectively. The dark soldiers immediately backed away from him and fled. The two exchanged confused glances.

"Uh, what just happened?" - she asked, to which the co-pilot just shrugged.

Another Night Crawler tried to attack them but when he got too close to Radarr, he actually contorted himself in agony and flew away. Piper blinked in realization.

"Radarr, I think they have some kind of aversion to you!" - she said to him - "They can't stand being near you for some reason. That weakens them!" - she then grabbed two crystals and handed them to him - "Here, a levitation crystal and a shielding crystal. Fly all over the place chasing our enemies away!"

The little guy saluted her and jumped off the heliscooter. He created a small force field around himself to protect him from incoming attacks and shot out in the sky. He used the aversion from the Night Crawlers to his advantage. Every time a Sky Knight was in trouble he went there to scare the enemy soldier away.

Piper took the chance to go after Aerrow and help him. She managed to sight him being chased by about fifty Night Crawlers. They all cornered him and shot at once. Several blasts came in his way with not one single opening to escape. The girl used her green crystal again to help him out.

" _Diamond's Edge!_ " - she cast her spell.

A beam of blue light hit Aerrow and caused his hands to grow into a diamond shield right in front of him, deflecting all the blasts aimed at him. He looked at her surprised.

"Piper! I told you to run away!" - he shouted - "Get out of here now!"

But she didn't listen. She breathed heavily, feeling really worn out from using the power. Before the dark soldiers could even react she acted again.

" _Speed of Light!_ " - she summoned another spell right away.

Now able to move extremely fast, Aerrow knocked out all of the Night Crawlers in a matter of seconds by jumping from on skyride to another then landing on back on his skimmer. More enemy soldiers came after they saw all that commotion. Their precise shots came so fast they managed to destroy Aerrow's ride.

" _Fire's Fight!_ " - Piper did her magic once more.

The Sky Knight used his fire powers to blast away the incoming Night Crawlers. After that, the enemy army was starting to get considerably smaller. Radarr was doing a great job on chasing the dark soldiers away. The red aura disappeared from Aerrow and he was about to fall when Piper grabbed his hand and pulled him up.

He noticed she was very pale and her eyes were reddish with dark circles under them. He looked at her worried. She had gotten terribly sick and weak all of a sudden.

"Piper, what's going on?" - he asked her.

She winced in pain.

"It's the Binding. Every time I cast a spell it drains some of my energy and amplifies it, then sends it to you." - she explained - "I've used it way too many times in a row and without replenishing my strength."

"Then we should get you back to safety right now!" - he said alarmed.

But as soon as he finished speaking, a red bolt of energy came towards them, missing them by a few inches: it was the Dark Ace and the Master! They were furious with the Sky Knight and the Crystal Mage.

"Oh, c'mon, seriously?!" - he mumbled as he punched the metallic plating on the back of the heliscooter.

Piper flew them away, the two Cyclonians still in hot pursuit. Aerrow bent forward to protect her from any incoming shots. They went high in the sky, trying to evade the enemies somehow. But they weren't successful. The Dark Ace was able to get very close to them and sliced their skyride in half. They started to fall as Aerrow held Piper by the waist. He jumped out of the heliscooter, pulling her along, then opened his glider.

He tried to dodge the blasts sent out by the Talon Commander but it was harder and harder for Aerrow to keep that up. He was getting tired the more he avoided the shots. Soon the Master took that opportunity to shoot a bigger blast that hit one of the wings in the glider, which caused them to lose control and fall.

They collided against a metallic spiky pillar on the top of the Cyclonian tower. They tried as hard as they could to keep the traction between them and the metal, but it just wasn't possible. They slid down up until an extremity they luckily managed to hold onto tightly, which was their only way of survival.

The Master laughed maniacally as she floated near them, drawing their scared stares towards her.

"At last… My two biggest annoyances, the ones who had been causing me so much trouble, are now right within my reach." - she said - " _Infernal Blaze!_ "

Oh, no… She knew how to do the Binding as well! An orange beam of light came out from her hand and enveloped the Dark Ace in its aura. Suddenly he could just snap his fingers to generate a lot of fire in his hands. Piper tried to move one of her arms to grab the green crystal in her pocket, but that made her grip loosen up a bit, causing her to slid down a little.

"Piper!" - Aerrow shouted in fear, but soon he calmed down a little when she managed to recover her hold.

She pulled out the crystal while holding tightly against the pipe.

" _Lightning Strike!_ " - she attempted to summon the power, but there was no reaction - "Why isn't it working now?!"

She was way too weak! She had depleted all of her spare energy, now she could no longer cast her spells! She and Aerrow looked at the Master upon hearing her laugh.

"Silly girl! Did you think you could come close to my skills?!" - she said arrogantly - "Now it's time for you to learn what the real Crystal Mastery is about. Dark Ace, finish them."

The Talon Commander grinned evilly. Aerrow stared at him with a murderous glare. If he could just grab his swords again! That man would've been dead by now! But his thoughts were interrupted when he heard Piper weakly calling for him.

"I'm sorry, Aerrow. I've failed you." - she said sadly as her grip on the pipe finally gave up.

"Piper, no!" - he shouted as scared as ever.

He saw her falling, that moment playing in slow motion in his head. He could hear his heart beating loudly in his ears. No… No… He couldn't let that happen… In the blink of an eye, he let go of the pipe, grabbed Piper's wrist just in time then quickly held back onto the extremity of the pipe.

The girl noticed she was no longer in free fall and looked up at him with an unreadable stare. Almost as if she were asking "why?".

"Piper… I can't let you go. Not like this." - he said - "If this is really the end, I want us to go through it together. I want the last thing I see to be your eyes… The last touch I feel to be your skin… The last thing I hear to be your voice… So I can take at least a little bit of you with me… Wherever I end up after this. Because…" - he trailed off.

She was tearing up, by looking into his emerald eyes she could clearly see what he meant by all that, where did his feelings lie. She smiled at him, letting him know she felt the same way. They stared at each other for a moment. That was it. They were done for. But at least they were going to die together. And they had already accepted their fate. They simply let themselves get lost into each other's gaze, completely ignoring everything around them.

In that one single instant, something was triggered. And that caused a chain reaction that became one thing: a miracle. Aerrow's body suddenly started to glow in a blue aura. The aura grew beyond him, enveloping Piper as well and healing her. She looked at the green crystal in her hand and saw it shine very brightly.

"This is over now." - the Dark Ace said as he summoned two fiery wings behind him.

But he soon blinked surprised as Aerrow and Piper floated in front of him, holding each other's hands and staring determined at him. The girl breathed in a little to focus that energy to her crystal.

" _Lightning Strike!_ " - she shouted.

Aerrow flew up high in the air and shot out a lightning bolt that blasted the Talon Commander away and caused him to collide against the Master, dragging her along. The two were sent flying very fast towards a strange crystal in the base of the Terra and crashed against it, cracking it in half.

"NO!" - the Master yelled.

From the crack, a portal opened up, sucking everything nearby into it, in other words, the Dark Ace and her. The two didn't even have a chance to retaliate or escape the gravitational field. They were dragged into the portal nearly instantly. Aerrow and Piper noticed they were a little too close to the portal so they flew away to a safe distance as they watched the open rift collapse on itself, sealing the entrance to another dimension forever.

They observed with wide eyes as Cyclonia simply fell from the skies right in front of them. Luckily there wasn't anyone else left in the Terra. There could've been innocent people stuck in there, who knew? They exchanged glances, they were stunned by what had just happened. Radarr suddenly appeared near them, flying with the levitation crystal. He chirped happily as cheered on them. The Condor also approached her, Starling, Harrier, Carver, Suzy Lu, and Tritonn were all standing on the landing strip.

The three floating in the sky flew towards the ship and landed in front of the Sky Knights.

"Thank goodness you two are okay!" - Suzy Lu said in relief - "I don't know if you two realized that but you've just saved the whole world by yourselves!"

Yes… They… Had… They quickly looked at each other then back at the Sky Knights. Atmos… Was free… Atmos was free! It took a few seconds to sink in but when it did, it felt like the best sensation ever! The rest of the army approached them as well.

"All bow down to our saviors!" - Harrier announced.

Everyone knelt on the floor of their ships or just bent their backs forward when they were riding on skimmers. They all placed a fist in front of their hearts, acknowledging the victory was thanks to two brave souls that ventured themselves into the depths of the chaotic battle and nearly gave their own lives for the world.

The two of them didn't even know how to react, they were simply moved by all that recognition. They held hands and just enjoyed the moment. There was nothing more important at that time.


	12. Epilogue

* * *

**Epilogue**

A few hours later, it was the dawn of a new age. An age of peace and prosperity. The sun shone brightly in the sky, illuminating the huge party that was happening in Terra Atmosia, the most influent Terra in the whole Atmos. Pretty much everyone had gathered in that one place, well, with hundreds of ships parked nearby to even contain all those people.

Piper's friends had finally made contact with her. They were all so happy for her. She had definitely made a name for herself. Their little girl had grown up so much ever since they had last seen her. She was a mature young woman now.

"Oh, Piper!" - Dove shouted as she quickly hugged her best friend - "We've missed you so much. There wasn't a single day we didn't think about you!"

"Thank you, Dove." - she replied - "I've really missed you all as well. I'm so relieved everyone was safe."

The Caucasian girl was about to say something when she spotted Aerrow a few feet away from them.

"Oooh… Who's he? Is that the handsome knight in shining armor you were talking about in your letter?" - she asked teasingly.

"He… He's a really good friend of mine!" - the dark-skinned girl said nervously.

"You mean he's your boyfriend. I know that look in your face." - the blue-eyed one teased even more - "You've only done that once when we were little and still were told fairy tales before going to sleep. That's you 'I'm head over heels in love' look."

"Dove!" - she playfully scolded her friend.

Ah, it felt so great having her back. They had so much catching up to do. But they'd have plenty of time to do that later. Now, all that mattered was celebrating their victory! The brown haired girl left to go meet with the other villagers while Piper walked towards Aerrow and a group of Sky Knights.

Everyone was able to enjoy themselves for the whole day. People chatted, ate lots of delicious food, played some improvised games. In short, they all had a lot of fun. The sun was starting to set and everybody gathered near the Sky Knight council.

There at the roof of the building, a flag was raised: the Storm Hawks' flag. Everyone cheered loudly as some fireworks exploded in the sky. Aerrow and Radarr watched the flag with teary eyes. Lightning Strike would have been so proud of them.

The co-pilot noticed Piper approaching them and leaped off Aerrow's shoulder. She stood in front of the boy, smiling warmly at him.

"I can't believe a week ago I was running away for my life and now I'm here, feeling as calm as ever." - she told him - "And this couldn't have become true if it weren't for you so… Thanks. I'm really glad we've met."

"You made my world a lot better too. The Atmos wouldn't be free right now if you'd never made your way into my life." - he said to her - "So I'm grateful for having met you as well."

They hugged each other tenderly. Showing how much they meant for one another. They separated, but kept their arms partially around each other, as they watched the fireworks for a while. That moment felt eternal, it was like it'd never end, just the two of them in their own little world, together forever.

Piper looked at him and moved in to give him a peck on the cheek, but Aerrow had some ideas in his mind. He turned his face a little in a way she ended up kissing him on the lips instead. She blinked surprised as she quickly pulled away, blushing a lot. But before she could even register what had happened, the boy leaned in and captured her lips in his once more, this time a much deeper kiss. Her eyes widened, then she blissfully rested into the kiss and proceeded to deepen it even more.

They tightened their embrace again and enjoyed that one kiss for all they were worth. The dawn of the new age had brought the start of not only this new free and peaceful era but also the beginning of a wonderful and everlasting love between the two selfless souls that changed the world for the better.

After everything they had gone through, a happy ending to their story was more than deserved.


End file.
